Networked system for interactive communication and remote monitoring of individuals

A method for communicating with at least one individual, the method comprising the steps of:

• A) providing first information from a health care provider associated with said individual by entering from a computer into a server (i) one or more messages from said health care provider to the individual, and (ii) one or more queries along with corresponding response choices to the one or more queries, wherein the computer is remotely located from and in communication with the server through at least one communication network;
• B) generating a stand-alone program in a memory with a program generator in the server using the one or more messages, the one or more queries, the corresponding response choices, and a template, wherein the one or more messages, the one or more queries, and the corresponding response choices are customized to said individual by the program generator in response to (i) said first information from said health care provider and (ii) second information specific to said individual stored on said server;
• C) transmitting the program from the server to a remotely situated hand-held apparatus through the at least one communication network, wherein (a) the program includes (i) instructions to configure said hand-held apparatus to collect one or more measurements of a physiological condition of the individual, (ii) the one or more messages, the one or more queries, and the corresponding response choices to be sent to the individual, (iii) an identification number determined by the program generator, aid (b) an updated version of the program is transmitted via the at least one communication network to the hand-held apparatus each time that the health care provider changes in a current treatment plan one or more of (i) at least one of the messages and (ii) at least one of the queries and (c) the one or more queries in the program are a subset of the queries stored in the server;
• and
• D) receiving data through the at least one communication network and storing the data in the server, wherein (i) the data received from the hand-held apparatus includes (i) selections of the corresponding response choices, (ii) said one or more measurements and (iii) the identification number of the program that collects the selections.

A monitoring system to allow at least one individual to communicate with a server using a hand-held apparatus remotely situated from the server, wherein the hand-held apparatus comprises:

• a network interface for establishing a communication link between the hand-held apparatus and the server through at least one communication network;
• a user interface used by (A) a health care provider associated with the individual to provide first information by entering, authoring or selecting (i) one or more messages from said health care provider to the individual, and (ii) one or more queries and corresponding response choices and (B) the individual to receive (i) the one or more messages, the one or more queries and the corresponding response choices as provided by a stand-alone program, the program being received from the server through the at least one communication network and (ii) a plurality of selections of the corresponding response choices from the at least one individual, wherein the one or more messages, the one or more queries, and the corresponding response choices are customized by a program generator in the server in response to (i) said first information from said health care provider and (ii) second information specific to said individual stored on said server;
• a memory for storing the program and the selections;
• and
• a processor connected to the network interface, the user interface and the memory, wherein the processor is used to execute the program to (i) present the one or more messages, the one or more queries and the corresponding response choices to the individual, (ii) receive the selections from the individual, (iii) establish the communication link to the server, and (iv) transmit data to the server through the at least one communication network,
• wherein (A) the program includes (i) instructions to configure said hand-held apparatus to collect one or more measurements of a physiological condition of the individual, (ii) the one or more messages, the one or more queries and the corresponding response choices sent to the individual (iii) an identification number determined by the program generator, (B) the hand-held apparatus is in communication with at least one monitoring device for collecting one or more measurements of a physiological condition of the individual, (C) an updated version of the program is transmitted via the at least one communication network to the hand-held apparatus each time that the health care provider changes in the current treatment plan one or more of (i) at least one of the messages and (ii) at least one of the queries, (D) the data includes (i) the selections, (ii) the measurements and (iii) the identification number of the program that collects the selections and (E) the one or more queries in the program are a subset of the queries stored in the server.