Method and system for provision and acquisition of medical services and products

• US 20030195838A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Julian L. Henley
• Original Assignee: Julian L. Henley
• Inventors: Henley, Julian L.
• Application Number:
  US10/420,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• 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

Transactional costs associated with providing professional services are reduced by enabling prospective clients/patients and professional service providers to competitively negotiate fees for proffered services through an interactive on-line professional services auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible communications network such as the Internet. A separate on-line auction transaction system, which shares database resources with the professional services auction transaction system, is also provided for implementing an arrangement for auctioning options to purchase services at a discount—such as discount coupons that are applicable toward fees charged for proffered professional services. A person-to-person network marketing arrangement for rewarding existing member professional service providers for recruiting prospective new service provider members and training them in the use of the on-line auction transaction systems is also fostered and supported via the on-line professional services auction transaction system.

Claims

1. An on-line auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible digital communications network comprising a web-page server computer system connected to a publicly accessible communications network for maintaining one or more web pages, said web-page server computer system comprising:

a product/services auction transaction web-site engine that co-operates with a discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site engine, wherein the product/services auction transaction web-site engine and the discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site engine both have access to a shared database of stored information maintained by said computer system.

2. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 1 wherein said shared database is a provider qualifications database.

3. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 1 wherein said shared database is a provider verification database.

4. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 1 wherein said shared database is a provider qualifications/verification database.

5. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 1 wherein said shared database is a feedback database.

6. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 1 wherein said shared database is an outcomes database.

7. An on-line auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible digital communications network comprising a web-page server computer system connected to a publicly accessible communications network for maintaining one or more web pages, said web-page server computer system comprising:

a product/services auction transaction web-site engine;

a discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site engine; and

at least one transaction system database maintained by the web-page server computer system to which access is shared by both the product/services auction transaction web-site engine and the discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site engine.

8. An on-line auction transaction system as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a plurality of shared transaction system databases to which access is shared by both the product/services auction transaction web-site engine and the discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site engine.

9. An on-line auction transaction system as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one shared database is used to store provider qualifications information.

10. An on-line auction transaction system as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one shared database is used to store provider verification information.

11. An on-line auction transaction system as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one shared database is used to store user feedback information.

12. An on-line auction transaction system as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one shared database is used to store outcome information.

13. An on-line computerized method for auctioning a discount coupon associated with a particular service proffered by a service provider, said discount coupon being redeemable against fees/charges for a particular service provider'"'"'s services, comprising the steps of:

posting on line, over a digital communications network, at least one discount coupon redeemable against fees/charges charged by a particular service provider for providing a proffered service, wherein the discount coupon has a predetermined minimum bidding price;

receiving on-line bids for the discount coupon as proffered by prospective customers of such service provider; and

awarding the discount coupon on line to a particular winning bidder by transmitting a bid award verification receipt to a winning bidder or set-fee purchaser over the digital communications network, wherein the discount coupon is awarded to an on-line bidder posting a highest bid within a predetermined time period after posting the coupon on line for bidding.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said service proffered by a service provider is a medical service.

15. In an on-line auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible communications network such as the Internet, said transaction system comprising a web-site server computer system and a plurality of databases containing information relating to conducting auction transactions, an on-line computerized method for auctioning product/services and discount coupons/options that are redeemable against fees charged for said products/services, comprising the steps of:

providing an on line product/services auction transaction web-site implemented on said web-site server computer system using a first software auction transaction engine; and

providing an on line discount coupon/options auction transaction web-site implemented on said web-site server computer system using a second software auction transaction engine;

wherein at least one database containing information relating to conducting auction transactions is common to both the first and second web-site engine.

16. An on-line professional services auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible digital communications network, said system enabling professional service providers to make available for purchase via auctioning on line a service option to purchase a specified proffered service at a predetermined discount, said system comprising:

a computer system connected to a publicly accessible communications network;

a computer-readable storage device connected to said computer system for maintaining one or more information databases, including at least one database containing verified information concerning the professional services provider'"'"'s qualifications to provide the specified professional services; and

a program for controlling said computer system;

wherein the program is operable for causing the computer system to;

(a) receive an on-line offer from a professional services provider to place said option up for auction on line over the publicly accessible digital communications network; and

(b) post an offer on line to sell the option via a web site for hosting the on-line auction that is accessible by prospective buyers of the specified professional service via said publicly accessible digital communications network.

17. The on-line auction transaction system of claim 16, wherein the service option is a discount coupon, said discount coupon being applicable toward fees charged by the professional services provider for performing the specified professional service.

18. The auction transaction system of claim 16, wherein the program is further operable for causing the computer system to authenticate the professional services provider'"'"'s qualifications to provide the proffered professional service by searching one or more information databases containing verified information concerning the professional services provider'"'"'s qualifications.

19. An on-line auction transaction system comprising at least one web-site server computer, said system implemented over a publicly accessible digital communications network, said web-site server computer programmed to:

assign an ID number/code to each new member upon registration, wherein said ID number/code acts at least in part as a reference to a particular previously registered member; and

apportion a predetermined portion of a winning bid amount associated with an on-line auction transaction among registered members who are referenced by an ID number/code assigned to at least one party of said on-line auction transaction.

20. In an on-line auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible communications network such as the Internet, said system providing on-line interactive auctioning of professional services and/or products proffered by one or more registered service provider members, a method for providing incentive to registered service provider members to recruit and/or train new prospective service provider members, comprising the steps performed by a computer of:

assigning a unique ID number to each new service/product provider member upon registration, wherein said ID number acts at least in part as a reference to one or more particular previously registered members for having recruited and/or trained said new service/product provider member in the use of the on-line auction transaction system; and

apportioning a predetermined percentage of a winning bid amount associated with an on-line auction transaction among one or more registered members who are referenced by an ID number/code assigned to at least one party of said on-line auction transaction.

21. An on-line computerized method for auctioning a service option for purchasing services proffered by a service provider at a discount, said service option being exercisable for a particular service provider'"'"'s services, comprising the steps of:

posting on line, over a digital communications network, an option to purchase services proffered by a particular service provider at a predetermined discount, wherein the option has a predetermined minimum bidding price;

receiving on-line bids for the option as proffered by prospective patients of said service provider; and

awarding the option on line to a particular winning bidder by transmitting a bid award verification receipt to a winning bidder over the digital communications network, wherein the option is awarded to an on-line bidder posting a highest bid within a predetermined time period after posting the option on line for bidding.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the service option is a discount coupon.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the proffered service is a medical procedure/service.