SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPARING, RETREIVING, AND REPORTING DATA

• US 20070288502A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Treatment First Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Treatment First Incorporated
• Inventors: Silverthorne, Ian
• Application Number:
  US11/742,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system is described that allows users to conveniently search for and exchange information. In some embodiments, a web service allows for personal injury attorneys to locate medical providers according to their geographic location, specialty, and fee arrangement. Users may advantageously identify preferred members or providers, and those providers are emphasized on any map or listing in which they appear. Accordingly, attorney users may more efficiently provide clients with medical provider referrals utilizing the systems described herein.

Claims

1. A system for communicating a provider list to a user comprising:

a database of providers;

a list of providers geographically selected from the database;

a group of chosen providers;

a display showing the list of providers geographically selected from the database and emphasizing providers that are in the list and in the group of chosen providers.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display showing a map of the area corresponding to the list of providers geographically selected from the database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the database of providers comprises a database of medical service providers that accept liens.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the database of providers comprises a database of legal service providers for personal injury cases.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the list of providers geographically selected from the database comprises providers within a radius of geographic distance from a user-selectable location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the list of providers geographically selected from the database comprises providers within a drive-time radius of a user-selectable location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the group of chosen providers is selectable by a user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the display showing the list of providers geographically selected from the database and emphasizing providers that are in the list and in the group of chosen providers comprises a list that positions chosen providers at the top of the list.

9. A computer-implemented method of integrating chosen selections into a geographically-selected list, the method comprising:

providing a database of potential providers;

allowing a user to provide place data;

using a computer and the place data to generate a geographically-selected list from the database of potential providers;

allowing the user to choose selections from the database of potential providers;

calculating which providers from the database are both on the geographically-selected list and the list of chosen selections; and

indicating to a user which providers from the database are both on the geographically-selected list and the list of chosen selections.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a graphic representation of the geographically-selected list for display to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating a graphic representation of the geographically-selected list comprises rendering a map.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a database of potential providers comprises providing a database of potential service providers that accept deferred payment based on the outcome of a legal proceeding.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing a database of potential service providers that accept deferred payment based on the outcome of a legal proceeding comprises providing a database of personal injury lawyers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing a database of potential service providers that accept deferred payment based on the outcome of a legal proceeding comprises providing a database of medical professionals that accept liens.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein allowing a user to provide place data comprises allowing a user to enter an address;

16. The method of claim 9, wherein indicating to a user which providers from the database are both on the geographically-selected list and the list of chosen selections comprises displaying a list of providers on a computer screen.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein allowing a user to choose selections from the database of potential providers comprises displaying a list of potential providers to a user over a web interface and accepting input from the user regarding each of the providers separately.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein indicating to a user which providers from the database are both on the geographically-selected list and the list of chosen selections comprises displaying a list of selected providers to a user over a web interface.

19. A system for communicating provider information to a user, the system comprising:

a database of providers;

a geographic search engine configured to accept location data and select close providers from the database of providers;

a web-based interface configured to accept input from the user and display provider information to the user;

a tracking system configured to store information relating to the input from the user; and

a report generator configured to retrieve the information relating to the input from the user and display that information to the user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the database of providers comprises information relating to medical providers.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the database of providers comprises information relating to providers of legal services.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the database of providers comprises information relating to providers of legal and medical services.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the database of providers comprises information relating to providers of car repair services.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the geographic search engine configured to select close providers from the database of providers is further configured to select close providers according to a user-selected parameter.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to retrieve information stored by the tracking system.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing what medical providers at least one client was referred to.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing what medical providers received a client from the user.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing how many times, during a given time period, the geographic search engine accepted location data and selected close providers within a certain geographic area.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the certain geographic area is a municipality.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing the number of clients referred to one or more providers for a given time period.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing all the clients that were referred to providers by a user.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing the clients referred to each provider for a given time period.

33. The system of claim 19, further comprising a list of user-selected favorites, selected from the database of providers.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing the list of user-selected favorites.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing all providers that referred clients to a user during a given time period.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display a report showing which providers are using the system to enter location data into the geographic search to locate other providers within a certain geographic area, the certain geographic area selected by the user.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the user is one of the other providers.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the report also indicates to the user how many times the geographic search has been used by at least one of the providers.

39. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator is further configured to display to a provider a report that was generated by a user, wherein the provider is not the user.

40. The system of claim 19, further comprising a favorites only mode, wherein the web-based interface is configured to display only providers that are also user-identified favorites.

41. The system of claim 19, further comprising a letter generator configured to generate letters addressed to one or more providers from a user.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the letter generator is configured to send data from the tracking system to a system administrator.

43. A method of generating reports comprising:

providing a database of legal and medical providers;

accepting client location data input by a user;

using a computer to search the database to identify legal or medical providers close to the client location;

storing search and provider information;

automatically generating reports having search or provider information;

providing the reports to a user.