Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating one-to-one secure on-line communications between professional services providers and remotely located clients

• US 20010037219A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medfusion, Inc. (NextGen Healthcare, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Medfusion, Inc. (NextGen Healthcare, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Stephen Nabeil
• Application Number:
  US09/838,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided that can facilitate providing secure, on-line communications between healthcare providers and remotely located patients. Patients, during on-line virtual office visits, provide various information about one or more medical conditions in a predetermined, structured format. Patients are assigned to pools of patients based upon one or more patient attributes and/or one or more healthcare provider attributes. A healthcare provider qualified to treat patients in the pool selects a patient from a displayed list and views the medical condition of the patient. The physician prepares a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition(s) of the patient and sends a communication containing the same to a secure area. The patient is then notified of the physician'"'"'s communication and is directed to log-on to the secure area and view the communication.

Claims

1. A method of providing professional services, the method comprising the following performed by a data processing system:

accepting entry of information associated with a matter of a person, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

assigning the person to one of a plurality of pools of people based on the entered information;

allowing a professional services provider qualified to advise people in the assigned pool to view the entered information; and

providing a secure area within which the professional services provider provides information about the matter, wherein the secure area is accessible by the person via the client device.

2. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising allowing the person to access the secure area and view the information provided by the professional services provider.

3. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising notifying the person that the professional services provider has provided information about the matter within the secure area.

4. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the information is entered by the person in a predetermined, structured format.

5. The method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the following performed prior to accepting entry of information associated with a matter of a person:

identifying the person; and

verifying that the person is eligible to receive professional services.

6. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the professional services provider is selected from the group consisting of healthcare service providers, legal service providers, technical service providers, and financial services providers.

7. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein assigning the person to a pool is based upon one or more attributes of the person and/or one or more attributes of the professional services provider.

8. A method of providing healthcare services to patients, the method comprising the following performed by a data processing system:

accepting entry of information about a medical condition of a patient, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

assigning the patient to one of a plurality of pools of patients based on the entered patient information;

allowing a healthcare provider qualified to treat patients in the assigned pool to view the patient information; and

providing a secure area within which the healthcare provider provides a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient, wherein the secure area is accessible by the patient via the client device.

9. The method according to

claim 8

, further comprising allowing the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider.

10. The method according to

claim 8

, further comprising notifying the patient that the healthcare provider has provided a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient within the secure area.

11. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein the information is entered by the patient in a predetermined, structured format.

12. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a medication prescription, and further comprising communicating the medication prescription to a pharmacy for fulfillment.

13. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a request to perform laboratory services on the patient, and further comprising communicating the request for laboratory services to a provider of laboratory services for fulfillment.

14. The method according to

claim 13

, further comprising communicating results of the laboratory services to the patient.

15. The method according to

claim 8

, further comprising the following performed prior to accepting entry of information about a medical condition of a patient:

identifying the patient; and

verifying that the patient is eligible to receive healthcare services.

16. The method according to

claim 8

, wherein assigning the patient to a pool is based upon one or more attributes of the patient and/or one or more attributes of the healthcare provider.

17. The method according to

claim 9

, wherein allowing the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider comprises allowing the patient to select a specific medication prescription for treating the patient.

18. A data processing system that facilitates the provision of professional services, comprising:

means for accepting entry of information associated with a matter of a person, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

means for assigning the person to one of a plurality of pools of people based on the entered information;

means for allowing a professional services provider qualified to advise people in the assigned pool to view the entered information; and

means for providing a secure area within which the professional services provider provides information about the matter, wherein the secure area is accessible by the person via the client device.

19. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, further comprising means for allowing the person to access the secure area and view the information provided by the professional services provider.

20. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, further comprising means for notifying the person that the professional services provider has provided information about the matter within the secure area.

21. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, wherein the information is entered by the person in a predetermined, structured format.

22. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, further comprising:

means for identifying the person; and

means for verifying that the person is eligible to receive professional services.

23. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, wherein the professional services provider is selected from the group consisting of healthcare service providers, legal service providers, technical service providers, and financial services providers.

24. The data processing system according to

claim 18

, wherein the means for assigning the person to a pool comprises means for assigning the person to a pool based upon one or more attributes of the person and/or one or more attributes of the professional services provider.

25. A data processing system that facilitates the provision of healthcare services to patients, comprising:

means for accepting entry of information about a medical condition of a patient, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

means for assigning the patient to one of a plurality of pools of patients based on the entered patient information;

means for allowing a healthcare provider qualified to treat patients in the assigned pool to view the patient information; and

means for providing a secure area within which the healthcare provider provides a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient, wherein the secure area is accessible by the patient via the client device.

26. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, further comprising means for allowing the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider.

27. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, further comprising means for notifying the patient that the healthcare provider has provided a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient within the secure area.

28. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, wherein the information is entered by the patient in a predetermined, structured format.

29. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a medication prescription, and further comprising means for communicating the medication prescription to a pharmacy for fulfillment.

30. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a request to perform laboratory services on the patient, and further comprising means for communicating the request for laboratory services to a provider of laboratory services for fulfillment.

31. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, further comprising:

means for identifying the patient; and

means for verifying that the patient is eligible to receive healthcare services.

32. The data processing system according to

claim 25

, wherein the means for assigning the patient to a pool comprises means for assigning the patient to a pool based upon one or more attributes of the person and/or one or more attributes of the professional services provider.

33. The data processing system according to

claim 26

, wherein the means for allowing the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider comprises means for allowing the patient to select a specific medication prescription for treating the patient.

34. A computer program product that facilitates the provision of professional services, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that accepts entry of information associated with a matter of a person, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

computer readable program code that assigns the person to one of a plurality of pools of people based on the entered information;

computer readable program code that allows a professional services provider qualified to advise people in the assigned pool to view the entered information; and

computer readable program code that provides a secure area within which the professional services provider provides information about the matter, wherein the secure area is accessible by the person via the client device.

35. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, further comprising computer readable program code that allows the person to access the secure area and view the information provided by the professional services provider.

36. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, further comprising computer readable program code that notifies the person that the professional services provider has provided information about the matter within the secure area.

37. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, wherein the information is entered by the person in a predetermined, structured format.

38. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, further comprising:

computer readable program code that identifies the person; and

computer readable program code that verifies that the person is eligible to receive professional services.

39. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, wherein the professional services provider is selected from the group consisting of healthcare service providers, legal service providers, technical service providers, and financial services providers.

40. The computer program product according to

claim 34

, wherein the computer readable program code that assigns the person to a pool comprises computer readable program code that assigns the person to a pool based upon one or more attributes of the person and/or one or more attributes of the professional services provider.

41. A computer program product that facilitates the provision of healthcare services to patients, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that accepts entry of information about a medical condition of a patient, wherein the information is entered via a client device in communication with the data processing system;

computer readable program code that assigns the patient to one of a plurality of pools of patients based on the entered patient information;

computer readable program code that allows a healthcare provider qualified to treat patients in the assigned pool to view the patient information; and

computer readable program code that provides a secure area within which the healthcare provider provides a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient, wherein the secure area is accessible by the patient via the client device.

42. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, further comprising computer readable program code that allows the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider.

43. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, further comprising computer readable program code that notifies the patient that the healthcare provider has provided a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation for the medical condition of the patient within the secure area.

44. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, wherein the information is entered by the patient in a predetermined, structured format.

45. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a medication prescription, and further comprising computer readable program code that communicates the medication prescription to a pharmacy for fulfillment.

46. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, wherein a treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider includes a request to perform laboratory services on the patient, and further comprising computer readable program code that communicates the request for laboratory services to a provider of laboratory services for fulfillment.

47. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, further comprising:

computer readable program code that identifies the patient; and

computer readable program code that verifies that the patient is eligible to receive healthcare services.

48. The computer program product according to

claim 41

, wherein the computer readable program code that assigns the patient to a pool comprises computer readable program code that assigns the patient to a pool based upon one or more attributes of the person and/or one or more attributes of the professional services provider.

49. The computer program product according to

claim 42

, wherein the computer readable program code that allows the patient to access the secure area and view the diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation provided by the healthcare provider comprises computer readable program code that allows the patient to select a specific medication prescription for treating the patient.