Methods, Systems, and Products for Exchanging Health Care Communications

• US 20090074175A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wellons, David L., Turcan, Diane Brown
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 for connecting to private branch exchanges

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for exchanging healthcare communications. An electronic healthcare communication is received and categorized. The electronic healthcare communication is processed according to the categorization of the electronic healthcare communication. A transaction reply is selected when the categorization applies a sender rule. The transaction reply is routed to a non-participant communication device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an electronic healthcare communication;

categorizing the electronic healthcare communication;

processing the electronic healthcare communication according to the categorization of the electronic healthcare communication;

selecting a transaction reply when the categorization applies a sender rule; and

routing the transaction reply to a non-participant communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising converting the electronic healthcare communication from a first data format to a second data format.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the electronic healthcare communication from a sender'"'"'s address and destined for a recipient'"'"'s address.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a sender'"'"'s address and a recipient'"'"'s address to a list of health care participant addresses.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising sending the electronic healthcare communication to a rule-based engine when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of health care participant addresses.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising receiving an identifier that associates the electronic healthcare communication with another system and with a non-participant system when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of health care participant addresses.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an attached object with the electronic healthcare communication.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising associating the attached object with a sender'"'"'s system.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising categorizing the attached object according to a rule-based engine.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein based on the categorization of the electronic healthcare communication, then further comprising converting the attached object from a first data format associated with a sender'"'"'s system to a second data format compatible with a receiver'"'"'s system before receipt thereof by the receiver system.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising processing the converted object according to the category selected by the rule-based engine.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving a user'"'"'s control that postpones conversion of the attached object.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein based on the sender'"'"'s address, automatically accepting the conversion of the attached object into the second data format.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising integrating telephony events with the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein based on a recipient'"'"'s address, then further comprising automatically defaulting to convert the attached object.

16. A system, operative to:

receive an electronic healthcare communication;

categorize the electronic healthcare communication;

process the electronic healthcare communication according to the categorization of the electronic healthcare communication;

select a transaction reply when the categorization applies a sender rule; and

route the transaction reply to a non-participant communication device.

17. The system according to claim 16, further operative to associate a sender'"'"'s address and a recipient'"'"'s address to a list of health care participant addresses.

18. The system according to claim 17, further operative to send the electronic healthcare communication to a rule-based engine when both the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address are matched to the list of health care participant addresses.

19. The system according to claim 17, further operative to receive an identifier that associates the electronic healthcare communication with another system and with a non-participant system when the sender'"'"'s address and the recipient'"'"'s address do not match the list of health care participant addresses.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic healthcare communication;

categorizing the electronic healthcare communication;

processing the electronic healthcare communication according to the categorization of the electronic healthcare communication;

selecting a transaction reply when the categorization applies a sender rule; and

routing the transaction reply to a non-participant communication device.