PROCESS FOR OBTAINING EXPERT ADVICE ON-DEMAND

• US 20080147741A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allscripts Software LLC (Veradigm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metro Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Gonen, David, Berkovitz, Darren, Stubblefield, Stacy, Gonen, Jonathan A., Gonen, Shlomo
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Obtaining expert advice on-demand includes maintaining a substantially real-time list of available experts in selected fields, in an electronic database. The system receives a request from a customer for expert advice in one or more of the selected fields maintained in the electronic database. The system then electronically identifies one or more available experts to the customer in response to the request received and routes the request for expert advice to at least one of the available experts.

Claims

1. A process for obtaining expert advice on-demand, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a substantially real-time list of available experts in selected fields, in an electronic database;

receiving a request from a customer for expert advice in one or more of the selected fields;

electronically identifying one or more available experts to the customer in response to the request received; and

routing the request for expert advice to at least one of the available experts.

2. The process of claim 1, including the step of rating the list of available experts, wherein the customer is routed to a highest rated available expert in the selected field.

3. The process of claim 2, including the step of rerouting the customer to a next highest rated expert when the highest rated expert does not respond to or rejects the request for expert advice.

4. The process of claim 2, including the step of rating the expert by the customer.

5. The process of claim 1, including the step of ranking the list of available experts from a lowest bidding available expert to a highest bidding expert, wherein the requestor is routed to the lowest bidding available expert in the selected field.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the routing step includes the step of routing the customer to an available expert selected by the customer.

7. The process of claim 6, including the step of rerouting the customer to a new expert on the list as selected by the customer, by a computer, by the first selected expert, or randomly.

8. The process of claim 1, including the step of establishing a communication link between the customer and the selected expert.

9. The process of claim 8, including the step of connecting the expert to the customer over an electronic communication network.

10. The process of claim 1, including the step of creating accounts for customers in the electronic database, and identifying the customer by caller identification, Automatic Number Identification, or input data.

11. The process of claim 10, including the step of storing customer specific information in the customer accounts.

12. The process of claim 11, including the step of giving the selected expert access to the customer specific information.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the selected expert comprises a medical expert, and the customer specific information comprises medical records.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes the step of receiving a username/password, an account number, or a voucher number from the customer.

15. The process of claim 1, including the step of assigning each of the experts a unique identification number or a username/password.

16. The process of claim 1, including the step of conveying an advertisement to the customer before routing the customer to the expert.

17. A process for obtaining expert advice on-demand, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a substantially real-time list of available experts in selected fields, in an electronic database;

receiving a request from a customer for expert advice in one or more of the selected fields;

electronically identifying one or more available experts to the customer in response to the request received;

routing the request for expert advice to at least one of the available experts selected by the customer;

rerouting the customer to a new expert on the list as selected by the customer, by a computer, by the first selected expert, or randomly; and

establishing a communication link between the customer and the selected expert over an electronic communication network.

18. The process of claim 17, including the step of conveying an advertisement to the customer before routing the customer to the expert.

19. The process of claim 17, including the steps of:

rating the list of available experts, wherein the customer is routed to a highest rated available expert in the selected field;

rerouting the customer to a next highest rated expert when the highest rated expert does not respond to or rejects the request for expert advice; and

rating the expert by the customer.

20. The process of claim 17, including the step of ranking the list of available experts from a lowest bidding available expert to a highest bidding expert, wherein the requester is routed to the lowest bidding available expert in the selected field.

21. The process of claim 17, including the steps of:

creating accounts for customers in the electronic database;

identifying the customer by caller identification, Automatic Number Identification, or input data;

storing customer specific information in the customer accounts; and

giving the selected expert access to the customer specific information.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the selected expert comprises a medical expert, and the customer specific information comprises medical records.