DISEASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

One aspect of the invention is directed to a system and method for automated knowledge-based, long-term patient disease management. Disease management is directed to the continuing medical care of a patient who has been diagnosed with a specified health problem called a disease. The system performs disease management in a fully automated manner, using periodic interactive dialogs with the patient to obtain health state measurements from the patient, to evaluate and assess the progress of the patient's disease, to review and adjust therapy to optimal levels, and to give the patient medical advice for administering treatment and handling symptom flare-ups and acute episodes of the disease. One goal of the disease management system is to promote patient health in an automated manner that reduces costly medical intervention. Various features of the system are specifically designed to accumulate and use patient-specific information, so that disease management can be tailored to each individual case. As the system manages a given patient over time, it builds a profile in the form of the frequency and reasons for the patient's contacts with the system, the patient's subjective understanding of the disease, the patient's objective response to various medical treatments, and the patient's preferences in treatment. The system performs its contact with patients in the form of disease management sessions, which are regularly scheduled dialogs with the patient.