Professional referral network

• US 20040019579A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Frederick S.M. Herz, Walter Paul Labys
• Inventors: Labys, Walter Paul, Herz, Frederick S. M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

It is often the case that a professional, lacking the time or capabilities to provide specialized services to his client, will refer the client to some other professional. Traditionally, this has been done through personal contacts and knowledge of local professional resources. Because the passing on of a client is a professional favor, there are often payments (cash or otherwise) made by the specialist to the referring professional. In the United States referral system, it is not legal to pass on professional favors nor payments at this time and it is conceivable that reformation of current federal medico-legal regulations will occur and that a bidding system may become feasible in the United States. Through the use of automated matching of profiles, one describing the needs of the client and the other describing the skill set of each candidate professional the presently proposed professional referral Network provides much greater efficiency in the referral process, quality of service to the client through receiving of professional services by those professional practitioners who are better suited to particular needs of the client, rewarding through the channel of increased business quantities to those professionals who demonstrate superior skill as well as a means for providing and incentive scheme to those practitioners who are not ideally suited to provide services to certain clients to refer them to one who is. This invention describes the framework for a system that will allow a professional to vastly extend the web of his referral network, by using a centralized matching system that both protects the privacy of his client, and allows a broad range of outside specialists the opportunity to present themselves. In addition to a database that allows the referring professional to gauge the capabilities of the candidates, the system also includes a bidding system such that candidates can offer a small reward (cash or otherwise) in exchange for being given the work.

Claims

1. We claim a method for a Professional Referral Network which enables an optimal matching between the needs of a client and the skill set of a professional which are appropriate for addressing that need through the providing of professional services.