Clinic wait-time visibility and reservations

• US 10,698,078 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Runci, Lisa Marie, Gillmeister, Kathryn, Dyson, IV, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Reginald R
• Application Number:
  US14/961,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20170161442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 700108, 705 2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A plurality of clinics proximate a physical location of a client device of a user is identified, and wait-time information is transmitted to the client device. The user of the client selects one of the plurality of clinics, and a position in the customer queue of the clinic is reserved.

Claims

1. A system for providing clinic wait-time visibility and reservations, the system comprising:

a network interface configured for communication with a client device of a user;

a non-volatile computer memory for storing wait-time information indicating an associated wait time for each clinic; and

a computer processor configured for executing software instructions to launch a client application installed on the client device when the user requests health care, and, in response to the launch of the client application, to;

determine a physical location of the client device using at least one of a global-position-system signal or a cellular signal broadcast from one or more cellular transmitters;

identify a plurality of clinics proximate the physical location of the client device;

identify a time of day when the user requests health care;

identify a type of visit for each customer positioned in a customer queue of each clinic of the plurality of clinics;

determine a length of time for providing health care to each customer positioned in the customer queue based on the type of visit and the time of day when the user requests health care;

determine the associated wait time for each clinic based on the determined length of time for each customer positioned in the customer queue and a number of customers positioned in the customer queue;

adjust the associated wait time based on a comparison between wait times determined for each clinic and actual wait times of each clinic in the past;

electronically generate a first message identifying each clinic and associated wait time for display to the user on a user interface of the client application;

receive, in response to the first message, a selection from the user for one clinic in the plurality of clinics displayed on the user interface of the client application;

electronically transmit the selection to the one clinic for entry into a position in a first customer queue of the one clinic;

receive a transfer request from the user via the client application installed on the client device;

place the user in a second customer queue of a second clinic of the plurality of clinics at a position having a wait time that most closely corresponds to the wait time of the user in the first customer queue of the one clinic;

monitor the physical location of the client device in real-time using at least one of the global-position-system signal or the cellular signal broadcast from the one or more cellular transmitters;

in response to the monitored physical location of the client device indicating that the user is not near the second clinic when the wait time elapses, adjust the position of the user in the second customer queue of the second clinic and update the wait time for the user;

in response to a third clinic having a shorter wait time than the updated wait time, automatically generate and transmit a second message of the third clinic to the user through the client application so that the user has immediate access to the up-to-date wait-time information for updating the clinic selection; and

automatically generate a third message alerting the user when the up-to-date wait time is within a certain time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to, in response to automatically generating and transmitting the second message of the third clinic to the user, receive a movement or a cancellation from the user through the user interface of the client application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to receive identification information of the user from the client device and to transmit the received identification information to the one clinic.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the identification information comprises a first name, last name, date of birth, ZIP code, email address, or phone number.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device comprises a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, or in-store kiosk.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to calculate a travel time from the physical location of the client device to each of the plurality of clinics and to transmit each travel time to the client device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to monitor the customer queue of each clinic and offer the user to select another clinic when the customer queue of the other clinic indicates a drop of wait time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to monitor a trajectory of the client device and adjust the position of the client device in the first customer queue if the client device is not due to be in or near the one clinic when the associated wait time elapses.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured for executing software instructions to electronically generate the first message identifying each clinic and associated wait time for display to the user includes displaying the wait time as a line graph on the user interface of the client application.

10. A method for providing clinic wait-time visibility and reservations, the method comprising:

launching a client application installed on a client device when a user requests health care;

in response to the launch of the client application;

determining a physical location of the client device using at least one of a global- position-system signal or a cellular signal broadcast from one or more cellular transmitters;

identifying a plurality of clinics proximate the physical location of the client device;

identifying a time of day when the user requests health care;

identifying a type of visit for each customer positioned in a customer queue of each clinic of the plurality of clinics;

determining a length of time for providing health care to each customer positioned in the customer queue based on the type of visit and the time of day when the user requests health care;

determining an associated wait time for each clinic based on the determined length of time for each customer positioned in the customer queue and a number of customers positioned in the customer queue;

adjusting the associated wait time based on a comparison between wait times determined for each clinic and actual wait times of each clinic in the past;

electronically generating a first message identifying each clinic and associated wait time for display to the user on a user interface of the client application;

receiving, in response to the first message, a selection from the client device of the user for one clinic in the plurality of clinics displayed on the user interface of the client application;

electronically transmitting the selection to the one clinic for entry into a position in a first customer queue of the one clinic;

receiving a transfer request from the user via the client application installed on the client device;

placing the user in a second customer queue of a second clinic of the plurality of clinics at a position having a wait time that most closely corresponds to the wait time of the user in the first customer queue of the one clinic;

monitoring the physical location of the client device in real-time using at least one of the global-position-system signal or the cellular signal broadcast from the one or more cellular transmitters;

in response to the monitored physical location of the client device indicating that the user is not near the second clinic when the wait time elapses, adjusting the position of the user in the second customer queue of the second clinic and updating the wait time for the user;

in response to a third clinic having a shorter wait time than the updated wait time, automatically generating and transmitting a second message of the third clinic to the user through the client application so that the user has immediate access to the up-to-date wait-time information for updating the clinic selection; and

automatically generating a third message alerting the user when the up-to-date wait time is within a certain time period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to automatically generating and transmitting the second message of the third clinic to the user, receiving a movement or a cancellation from the user through the user interface of the client application.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving identification information of the user from the client device and transmitting the received identification information to the one clinic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification information comprises a first name, last name, date of birth, ZIP code, email address, or phone number.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the client device comprises a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, or in-store kiosk.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating a travel time from the physical location of the client device to each of the plurality of clinics and transmitting each travel time to the client device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising monitoring the customer queue of each clinic and offering the user to select another clinic when the customer queue of the other clinic indicates a drop of wait time.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising monitoring a trajectory of the client device and adjusting the position of the client device in the first customer queue if the client device is not due to be in or near the one clinic when the associated wait time elapses.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the first message identifying each clinic and associated wait time for display to the user includes displaying the wait time as a line graph on the user interface of the client application.