Abstract: A new system for providing agricultural financial services is provided. The system includes crop insurance services, where a proper level of crop insurance is determined necessary to assure income approximately equal to the producer's break even point. In a management accounting or record keeping portion, estimated expenses and income are replaced with actual amounts on a periodic basis, providing a more accurate measure of expected profits and losses. In a marketing aspect, decisions regarding whether to sell agricultural products is based upon the expected profitability of the transaction and the producers profitability goal.

Abstract: A current health profile for a user is monitored at a personal health monitoring system. The current health profile includes multiple monitored physical parameters and multiple monitored environmental parameters. Multiple actions for selection by the user are received at the personal health monitoring system. The multiple actions are prioritized according to the current health profile and designated allowances for the user at the personal health monitoring system, such that the personal health monitoring system aids the user in selecting from among the multiple actions in order to balance the comprehensive health of the user. Multiple tasks for scheduling in a user's electronic schedule are scheduled according to the current health profile and designated allowances for the user at the personal health monitoring system.

Abstract: Survival risk insurance is a method of transferring the financial consequences associated with the risk that deaths occurring within a specified period of time in a selected group of insured lives will be less in number than the expected number of deaths or less in amount than the expected amount of death benefits paid. More particularly, one entity, the Coverage Recipient, can transfer a financial risk that the actual number of deaths or the actual amount of death benefits paid during a specified period relative to a selected group of insured lives will be less than the expected deaths or the expected amount of death benefits paid to another entity, the Coverage Provider, for the payment of an appropriate premium based on the method of this invention.

Abstract: An integrated system for the administration of insurance companies is disclosed which includes a personal computer, a network and one or more file servers. The system further includes software for performing a plurality of functions which are interconnected and automatic. Manually entered data is verified, integrated into the database and the appropriate functions performed. A built-in audit system allows all transactions to be retrieved and all communications to be documented. A system allows for predefining via an activity scheduler first types of entered data that are processed by an activity processor in real time and second types of entered data that are queued for processing at another time.

Abstract: An electronic medical record system and service is disclosed for centrally storing patients medical records electronically on a database for patient-controlled remote access by both patients and medical providers. The system stores a plurality of patient medical records on a medical information database via a medical information server connected to a network. A plurality of medical provider computers connected to the network have software to communicate with the medical information server. Patients supply authorization means to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient's medical record for viewing and updating of the patient's medical record. Additionally, patients can access all portions of their medical record using browser software on any browser-enabled device connected to the network.

Abstract: A digital prescription carrier and monitor system includes a pager sized carrier apparatus with an internal processor, a real-time clock/calendar, non-volatile memory, a communication port, a character display, and alert devices. Prescription data for one or more medications is stored within the carrier by a physician and downloaded by a pharmacist to fill the prescriptions called for. The carrier apparatus requires the entry of an decryption key to access prescription data within the carrier to prevent unauthorized access or tampering with the prescription data. The carrier apparatus also functions as a prescription reminder to the patient and records compliance with the prescription, since a switch must be operated to quiet an alert device activated when a scheduled medication dose is due.

Abstract: A patient apparatus is configured to receive and analyze information regarding patient compliance with anticoagulation medication and self-test coagulation regimens related to anticoagulation therapy. In addition, a patient apparatus is configured to receive data from a patient, including physiological data, pathophysiological data, biological data, psychological data, neuropsychological data, and/or behavioral data. Utilizing the received patient data, a patient apparatus can modify a warfarin regimen using an algorithm contained within the apparatus. The apparatus can communicate the modified warfarin regimen to the patient and to third parties, such as remotely located healthcare providers. In addition, the apparatus can prompt a patient when to perform a self-test and can prompt a patient to seek immediate medical attention, or to directly contact medical help, when so warranted.

Abstract: A computer implemented simulation and evaluation method simulates interventions to a patient by a user, and evaluates the interventions responsive to predetermined criteria and the interventions. The method includes defining a test area to evaluate the user to at least one of predetermined criteria and a user profile, selecting genetic information of the patient responsive to the test area, and generating a patient history responsive to the test area and the genetic information. The method also includes receiving at least one intervention input by the user, and evaluating the user responsive to the intervention and predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A method and system for transmitting information included in a memory device to a remote location. The information included in the memory device could take the form of patient information as well as a prescription dosages and the remote location could be a pharmacy or a physician's office. The memory device could be fixedly attached to a drug container and a linker module would read the information contained in the memory device and automatically contact a pharmacy located at a remote location to fill a particular prescription. Information relating to the patient or the prescription which is filled can also be transferred from the remote location directly into the memory device through the linker module. In addition, the method and system can be used to order or purchase any products or services from a vendor.

Abstract: An IT measurement system is aligned with the IT organization's business goals by examining the IT organization's current state-of-affairs with respect to measurement and analyzing how it maps to a proposed measurement model. To ensure the viability of the proposed measurement model, the IT organization and measurement processes it employs are structured to naturally support the collection, analysis, reporting, and use of the measurements in the proposed model. The measurement model and associated techniques work from a top-down approach, starting with the goals of the organization, identifying appropriate behaviors and finally associating measures that will empirically demonstrate achievement of the behaviors. In addition, algorithms for prioritization are executed to ensure that the best fitting measures are selected in the final measurement model.

Abstract: The invention is a method of facilitating shopping with a mobile device (12) to obtain a plurality of purchased goods and/or services from a group of vendors (14) located at a shopping location (16).

Abstract: Information about a patient is electronically handled as records. Access rules determined by the patient are stored in a computer. A first group of individual records are provided access under the access rules to a first group of component fields. A second group of individuals are provided under the access rules to a second group of the component fields. Access to records is selectively provided to personal relations of the patient, health care providers, and accounting or billing personnel.

Abstract: In an organization having a large number of employees, and also having a travel center, a method is provided for enhancing preparedness of employees for international travel. When the travel center is requested to make international travel arrangements for an employee, a travel notification message identifying the employee is transmitted to each of a number of specialized, travel service providers associated with the organization. A computer associated with a given travel service provider is then operated to determine whether the employee was identified in a previously received travel notification message. If not, the given travel service provider transmits a first travel preparation message to the employee, which comprises a complete list of travel services available from the given travel service provider.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for consolidating and distributing information. Implementation of system functionalities for both restricted local and unrestricted system-wide uses are permitted. Open standards for hardware, software and firmware components and standardized medical codes, definitions and formats are supported. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides an integrated health care system. The invention can also be used to allow secure access to Social Security, annuity, retirement account, and benefit information, allowing individuals a unified view of their benefit and payment status. A centralized host maintains, consolidates, and redistributes information generated at all networked locations. Information is electronically transferred among the system components to link an individual's local records to those stored remotely. The individual information device, centralized host computer, and any other computers or networks linked to the system can therefore be automatically updated.

Abstract: An agent-neutral computerized method for processing administrative data of a medical service provider, including defining standard administrative data formats for use by a medical service provider system, a coordinator system, and a plurality of practice management agent systems, in creating and processing administrative data. The method also includes creating neutral evaluation data for the agent-neutral coordinator system by tracking administrative data transferred between the medical service provider system and the practice management agent systems, wherein the administrative data is in the standard administrative data formats.

Abstract: From data that includes prices and unit sales of an item of commerce for a succession of time periods during which the item was sold, a relationship is derived that represents variation of unit sales of the item as a function of price and time of sale. A maximum profit is predicted by optimizing the price or inventory or both over time in accordance with the relationship. The optimized price or inventory or both over time are used in connection with making price decisions or inventory decisions or both with respect to marketing the item of commerce. A group of the data is aggregated, the group being chosen so that the aggregated data for the group will have an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio with respect to information about sales trends. The aggregated data for the group is analyzed for use in making price decisions with respect to marketing the items of commerce.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for preparing an electronic shipping record of a parcel. The system utilizes an intelligent telephone to display a parcel shipping procedure as a menu of choices for selection, to store delivery information received via the parcel shipping procedure as a shipping record of a parcel, and to transmit the shipping record to update a parcel database.

Abstract: A method of adjudicating a medical claim includes providing a requirements for a first claim and a second claim, receiving a medical claim for a medical procedure, setting a first score for the first claim and a second score for the second claim to an initial value, comparing components of the medical claim to the requirements of the first and second claims, changing the first and second scores for each one of the components that match one of the requirements and for each one of the requirements that is missing from the components, and selecting the first or second claim based upon predetermined criteria applied to their respective scores to determine either a monetary value of the medical procedure for a medical service provider associated with the medical procedure or a monetary value of medical coverage for a patient associated with the medical procedure.

Abstract: A system for aiding to make a medical care map includes: a plurality of files for including individual medical care data; a date and time measuring device for measuring a present date and time; a display controlling device for (i) generating main display data to display the medical care data, (ii) selecting one of condition marks set in advance, (iii) generating first sub display data to display the selected condition mark on the care map, (iv) calculating a present position on the care map, and (v) generating second sub display data to display a present mark at the calculated present position on the care map; and a display device for displaying the medical care data on the care map together with the condition mark and the present mark, on the basis of the main display data, the first sub display data and the second sub display data.

Abstract: The invention is a method for accelerating the provision of bands to an individual from a non-health government social service program via a program administrator using a smart card by issuing a smart card to an individual related to a particular non-health government social service program, using the smart card to determine if the user is preauthorized for the advancement of funds for a particular non-health government social service program and to determine if the service provider is preauthorized to provide service under the non-health government social service program, then transmitting acknowledgment of services from service provider to government, transmitting amount from government to service provider, transmitting acknowledgement of amount from service provider to government, and transferring payment quickly from government to service provider