Connecting Consumers with Service Providers

• US 20140006058A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Application Number:
  US14/015,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A computer-implemented method comprises:

accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, with the information including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;

receiving, in a computer, indications that members of a pool of medical service providers have become presently available;

receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;

identifying in the computer, an available member of the pool;

establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified member of the pool; and

causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing in a data repository information indicative of the consultation.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing in a data repository information collected during the consultation.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

causing a determination of insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the identified member of the pools comprises a first medical service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a second medical service provider associated with the consumer.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, further comprising:

prior to establishment of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer

29. A computer-implemented method comprises:

accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;

receiving in a computer, indications that members of a pool of medical service providers have become presently available;

receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;

identifying in the computer, an available member of the pool;

establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified member of the pool;

storing in a data repository information collected over the real-time communication channel.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein the identified member of the pools comprises a first medical service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a second medical service provider associated with the consumer.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, wherein the real-time communication channel comprises one or more of a telephonic communication channel and a text-based communication channel.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, further comprising:

prior to establishment of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 29, further comprising:

causing a verification of insurance for the consumer.

34. A computer implemented method comprises:

receiving in a computer, a request from a patient for an on-demand, real-time consultation with a physician;

accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to physicians, including present availability of the physicians for participating in a consultation;

determining in the computer, which of the physicians are presently available;

identifying in the computer, at least one available physician with whom the patient should consult;

receiving a selection from the patient of one of the identified physicians;

activating a real-time communication channel between a device associated with the patient and a device associated with the selected physician; and

causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

storing in a data repository information indicative of the consultation.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

causing a determination of insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a medical service provider that differs from the selected physician.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

prior to activation of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

storing in a data repository information indicative of one or more symptoms of the patient that are addressed during the consultation.

40. A computer-implemented method comprises:

accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, with the information including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;

determining, in a computer based on the accessed information, indications regarding availability of one or more medical service providers;

receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;

identifying in the computer, an available medical service provider;

establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified medical service provider; and

causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 40, wherein the indications regarding availability comprise one or more of an indication of presently available, an indication of online, an indication of idle, and an indication of busy.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 40, wherein the identified medical service provider is unavailable for the consultation at a first time and becomes available for the consultation at a second time.