System and Method for Providing a Consumer Healthcare Guide

• US 20070156455A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Optuminsight, Inc. (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Optuminsight, Inc. (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tarino, Michael, Valdivia, Tomas, Bock, Adam, Wiandt, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/565,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

A system and method for providing a consumer healthcare guide receive a set of search criteria and retrieve one or more health-related listings based on the set of search criteria. The health-related listings may include healthcare quality data and/or consumer cost data, which may include provider listings and/or facility listings. The provider listings may include a consumer cost rating based upon provider costs associated with a selected healthcare product or service. The facility listings may include a consumer cost rating based upon facility charges associated with a selected healthcare product or service. The consumer guide may also provide quality data, such as a healthcare quality rating corresponding to a quality score based on predetermined criteria. The consumer guide further may provide cost and/or quality information on a variety of aspects of healthcare including, for example, hospitals and other facilities, doctors and other providers, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance plans.

Claims

1. A method for providing a consumer healthcare guide comprising:

receiving a set of search criteria; and

retrieving one or more health-related listings based on said set of search criteria, wherein at least one of the health-related listings comprises consumer cost data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more health-related listings comprises provider listings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the consumer cost data for the provider listings comprises a consumer cost rating based upon provider costs associated with a selected healthcare product or service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more health-related listings comprises facility listings.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the consumer cost data for the facility listings comprises a consumer cost rating based upon facility charges associated with a selected healthcare product or service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search criteria comprises search data for a geographic area.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an average cost associated with the health-related listing for the geographic area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer cost data comprises a cost rating, the cost rating being one of a plurality of cost ratings, each of said cost ratings corresponding to a predetermined cost estimate range.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the health-related listings further comprises quality data associated with the health-related listing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the quality data comprises a quality rating, the quality rating being one of a plurality of quality ratings, each of said quality ratings corresponding to a predetermined quality score range.

11. A method for providing a consumer healthcare guide comprising:

receiving a set of search criteria; and

retrieving one or more health-related listings based on said set of search criteria, wherein at least one of the health-related listings comprises health-related listing quality data.

12. A system for providing a consumer healthcare guide comprising:

data storage for storing health-related data; and

a processor for;

receiving a set of search criteria; and

retrieving one or more health-related listings based on said set of search criteria, wherein at least one of the health-related listings comprises associated consumer cost data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein retrieving one or more health related listings comprises retrieving one or more provider listings.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the consumer cost data for the provider listings comprises a consumer cost rating based upon provider costs associated with a selected healthcare product or service.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein retrieving one or more health related listings comprises retrieving one or more facility listings.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the consumer cost data for the facility listings comprises a consumer cost rating based upon facility charges related to a medical procedure.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein a portion of the set of search criteria received comprises search data for a geographic area.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the consumer cost data comprises a cost rating, the cost rating corresponding to a cost estimate falling within a predetermined range for the cost rating.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the health-related listings comprises quality data associated with the health-related listing.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the quality data comprises a quality rating corresponding to a quality score based on predetermined criteria.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising providing the retrieved data on a graphical user interface.

22. A system for providing a consumer healthcare guide comprising:

data storage for storing provider data relating to a plurality of healthcare providers; and

a processor for;

generating provider rating data including a quality rating and a cost rating for each of the plurality of healthcare providers, wherein the provider rating data is generated using the stored provider data;

receiving search criteria input by a user; and

providing selected provider rating data based upon the search criteria input by the user.

23. A system for providing a consumer healthcare guide comprising:

data storage for storing facility data relating to a plurality of healthcare facilities; and

a processor for;

generating facility rating data including a quality rating and a cost rating for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, wherein the facility rating data is generated using the stored facility data;

receiving search criteria input by a user; and

providing selected facility rating data based upon the search criteria input by the user.