Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products for Promoting Healthcare Information Technologies to Card Members

• US 20080195415A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Gorrin, Andrew L., Chan, Cheung Tat, Hood, Nancy E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

The disclosed methods, systems, and computer-program products allow a credit or charge card issuer to promote healthcare information technology (HIT) products to physician card members that are affiliated with a healthcare organization, such as a preferred-provider organization (PPO). In an embodiment, the PPO endorses at least one HIT product, such as an electronic medical record (EMR), and the PPO identifies the endorsed HIT product to a transactional card provider. The transactional card provider then identifies at least one supplier of the endorsed HIT product and negotiates a discount on the endorsed HIT product when purchased from identified HIT supplier using a financial transaction instrument issued by the transactional card provider. The financial transaction instrument may be provided to the physician card member, who may purchase the endorsed HIT product from the identified supplier at the negotiated discount.

Claims

1. A method for promoting healthcare information technologies to card members, comprising:

identifying, to a physician associated with an organization, at least one healthcare information technology product endorsed by the organization; and

providing to the physician a financial transaction instrument for purchasing the at least one healthcare information technology product at a discounted price.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises:

providing to the physician an opportunity to become a card member; and

upon the physician'"'"'s becoming a card member, providing to the physician an additional discount on the at least one healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a supplier of the at least one healthcare information technology product; and

obtaining, from the identified supplier, the discounted price for the at least one healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

advertising, to the physician associated with the organization, at least one of;

(i) the financial transaction instrument and (ii) the at least one healthcare information technology product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the organization comprises any combination of a preferred-provider organization (PPO) and a health maintenance organization (HMO).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one healthcare information technology comprises an electronic medical record.

7. A system for promoting healthcare information technologies to card members, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to;

identify, to a physician associated with an organization, at least one healthcare information technology product endorsed by the organization; and

provide to the physician a financial transaction instrument for purchasing the at least one healthcare information technology product at a discounted price.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions for directing the processor to provide comprise instructions for directing the processor to:

provide to the physician an opportunity to become a card member; and

upon the physician'"'"'s becoming a card member, provide to the physician an additional discount on the at least one healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising instructions for directing the processor to:

identify a supplier of the at least one healthcare information technology product; and

obtain, from the identified supplier, the discounted price for the healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising instructions for directing the processor to:

advertise, to the physician associated with the organization, at least one of;

(i) the financial transaction instrument and (ii) the at least one healthcare information technology product.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the organization comprises any combination of a preferred-provider organization (PPO) and a health maintenance organization (HMO).

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one healthcare information technology product comprises an electronic medical record.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to promote of healthcare information technologies to card members, said logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to identify, to a physician associated with an organization, at least one healthcare information technology product endorsed by the organization; and

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide to the physician a financial transaction instrument for purchasing the at least one healthcare information technology product at a discounted price.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the second computer readable program code means further comprises:

third computer readable program code means for providing to the physician an opportunity to become a card member; and

upon the physician'"'"'s becoming a card member, fourth computer readable program code means for providing to the physician an additional discount on the at least one healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

third computer readable program code means for identifying a supplier of the at least one healthcare information technology product; and

fourth computer readable program code means for obtaining, from the identified supplier, the discounted price for the healthcare information technology product when purchased with the financial transaction instrument.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

third computer readable program code means for advertising, to the physician associated with the organization, at least one of (i) the financial transaction instrument and (ii) the at least one healthcare information technology product.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the organization comprises any combination of a preferred-provider organization (PPO) and a health maintenance organization (HMO).

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the at least one healthcare information technology product comprises an electronic medical record.