Connecting Consumers with Service Providers

• US 20080133511A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services

Abstract

A request is received from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing an engagement over the Internet between a consumer and a provider to connect consumers of medical services with providers of medical services in real time;

subsequent to establishing the engagement between the consumer and the provider, receiving feedback from the consumer related to the engagement; and

generating a provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the provider rating in a provider profile for the provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider rating reflects the quality of the provider'"'"'s interaction with multiple, different consumers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the provider rating at the end of each interaction between the provider and a consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search for a provider based on search criteria;

generating a list of providers that satisfy the search criteria; and

displaying the list to a consumer on a user interface in an order based on the provider rating of each provider included in the list.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a number of engagements of the provider over a period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a ratio of the number of return engagements to a total number of engagements for the provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving feedback comprises receiving a ranking of the provider from the consumer during a process for disconnecting the consumer from the provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging an additional amount if the consumer fails to provide feedback about the provider.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an evaluation of the service provider based at least in part on the consumer generated provider rating.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising prohibiting the service provider from entering into an engagement with a consumer if the provider rating is less than a threshold.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing an engagement over the Internet between a consumer and a provider to connect consumers of medical services with providers of medical services in real time;

subsequent to establishing the engagement between the consumer and the provider, receiving feedback from the consumer related to the engagement; and

updating the provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an enrollment request from a new service provider for use of a system that establishes an engagement over the Internet between a consumer of medical services and a provider of medical services in real time;

enrolling the service provider for use of the system; and

monitoring a provider rating of the service provider during a probationary period after the service provider begins to use the system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving feedback from consumers related to engagements with the service provider during the probationary period;

generating a provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback.

15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for executing instructions on a processor, the computer program product being operable to cause a machine to:

establish an engagement over the Internet between a consumer and a provider to connect consumers of medical services with providers of medical services in real time;

subsequent to establishing the engagement between the consumer and the provider, receive feedback from the consumer related to the engagement; and

generate a provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause a machine to:

receive a search for a provider based on search criteria;

generate a list of providers that satisfy the search criteria; and

display the list to a consumer on a user interface in an order based on the provider rating of each provider included in the list.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause a machine to perform an evaluation of the service provider based at least in part on the consumer generated provider rating.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause a machine to prohibit the service provider from entering into an engagement with a consumer if the provider rating is less than a threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause a machine to

receive an enrollment request from a new service provider for use of a system that establishes an engagement over the Internet between a consumer of medical services and a provider of medical services in real time;

enroll the service provider for use of the system; and

monitor a provider rating of the service provider during a probationary period after the service provider begins to use the system.