Technologies

Short Description

An integrated, multi-component system for urinary tract infection management

Abstract

Central to the system is a prescription kit that includes an antibiotic as well as the materials and instructions necessary for the patient to collect their own urine sample and to perform initial tests at home. The diagnostic tests are performed both prior to and following the prescribed therapy, and a qualified clinical laboratory analyzes the results. All data pertaining to the patient and to the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of the disease are collected into a centralized database. With the system in place, the best course of treatment for a given patient can be predicted based on data documenting the effectiveness of different therapies in similar patients. Even a patient with a recurring UTI can be successfully treated without follow-up office visits unless test results show reason for concern. Since the database is continually updated, the physician can also be aware of recent trends indicating outbreaks of drug resistance. This innovative new system is expected to reduce health care costs by minimizing the number of office visits and to improve the overall quality of patient care by providing physicians with a repository of important information that is currently not available to them.