Method for supplying a telemedical healthcare service

• US 20030028400A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schneider, Siegfried, Zahlmann, Gudrun, Schmidt, Volker, Striebel, Werner, Prihoda, Heinz, Christ, Tilo, Schull, Hans-Dieter
• Application Number:
  US10/197,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• 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

The invention relates to a method for checking whether a contract on a telemedical healthcare service can be effected between a service provider of the telemedical healthcare service and a customer. In the course of the method, a data processing device (4) of an agent undertakes inquiries with a customer in relation to a telemedical healthcare service. Thereupon, the data processing device (4) makes contact with a first database (5), which includes information on service offers from service providers of telemedical healthcare services, and checks whether a substantially corresponding service offer of a service provider can be assigned to the inquiry.

Claims

1. A method for checking whether a contract on a telemedical healthcare service can be effected between a service provider of the telemedical healthcare service and a customer, having the following method steps:

a) acceptance by a data processing device (4) of an inquiry from a customer relating to a telemedical healthcare service,

b) making contact between a first database (5) and the data processing device (4), which includes information on service offers from service providers of telemedical healthcare services, and

c) checking by the data processing device (4) as to whether the inquiry relating to the telemedical healthcare service can be assigned to a substantially corresponding service offer of a service provider.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the data processing device (4) makes contact with a second database (6), which includes country-specific legal information on telemedical healthcare services.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the data processing device (4) makes contact with a third database (7), which includes information on which telemedical healthcare services are at least partially paid for by health insurance funds under which conditions, or which are not paid for.

4. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, in which in the case when a contract can be effected between a customer and a service provider, at least an outline contract covering the telemedical healthcare service is produced by the data processing device (4).

5. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, in which the inquiry includes a medical questioning and identification data of the customer.

6. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which the service offer includes the type and the scope of the medical service as well as identification data of the provider.

7. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, in which the data processing device (4) interrogates the first database (5) in order to check whether a service provider can meet qualitative targets of a customer for the telemedical healthcare service to be provided.

8. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, in which the data processing device (4) interrogates the first database (5) in order to check whether a service provider can meet quantitative targets of a customer for the telemedical healthcare service to be provided.

9. The method as claimed in claims 1 to 8, in which after conclusion of a contract the data processing device (4) produces working instructions and/or guidelines for the customer and the service provider on the basis of the contract content.

10. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, which is carried out automatically by the data processing device (4).

11. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, in which the data processing device (4) is an expert system.

12. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, in which the data processing device (4) is a public communications network (1).

13. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, in which the first database (5) is connected to a public communications network (1).

14. The method as claimed in one of claims 2 to 13, in which the second database (6) is connected to a public communications network (1).

15. The method as claimed in one of claims 3 to 14, in which the third database (7) is connected to a public communications network (1).