Identifying Trusted Providers

• US 20090089074A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet. The method also includes in response to the received request, displaying a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface. The method also includes providing an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a first medical service provider;

receiving a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet;

in response to the received request, displaying a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface, and

providing an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first medical service provider comprises a primary care physician.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the consumer to engage with the first medical service provider; and

displaying the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers if the first medical service provider is not available to engage with the consumer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

displaying the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a tree of medical service providers associated with the first medical service provider, the tree including the trusted medical service providers identified by the first medical service provider and medical service providers identified by the one or more trusted medical service providers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the consumer about a particular one of the trusted medical service providers; and

providing the feedback to the first medical service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing compensation to the first medical service provider if the consumer engages with a medical service provider included in the list of trusted medical service providers for the first medical service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to an engagement between a consumer and a particular medical service provider, receiving feedback from the consumer related to the engagement;

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

displaying the provider rating in a provider profile for the service provider, the provider rating reflecting the quality of the provider'"'"'s interaction with the consumers.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a first medical service provider;

receive a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet;

in response to the received request, display a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface, and

provide an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer to engage with the first medical service provider; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers if the first medical service provider is not available to engage with the consumer.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

generate a tree of medical service providers associated with the first medical service provider, the tree including the trusted medical service providers identified by the first medical service provider and medical service providers identified by the one or more trusted medical service providers.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to

receive feedback from the consumer about a particular one of the trusted medical service providers;

and

provide the feedback to the first medical service provider.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to

provide compensation to the first medical service provider if the consumer engages with a medical service provider included in the list of trusted medical service providers for the first medical service provider.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

subsequent to an engagement between a consumer and a particular medical service provider, receive feedback from the consumer related to the engagement;

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

display the provider rating in a provider profile for the service provider, the provider rating reflecting the quality of the provider'"'"'s interaction with the consumers.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

receive an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a first medical service provider;

receive a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet;

in response to the received request, display a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface, and

provide an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further configured to:

receive a request from the consumer to engage with the first medical service provider; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers if the first medical service provider is not available to engage with the consumer.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further configured to:

receive a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

19. A computer implemented method comprises:

receiving from a first provider an identification of a trusted second provider; and

providing the identification of the trusted second provider to a consumer associated with the first provider.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising

receiving from the trusted second provider an identification of a trusted third provider;

and

providing the identification of the trusted third provider to the consumer associated with the first provider.