SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING HEALTHCARE INFORMATION

• US 20140222455A1
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WebMD LLC (WebMD Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebMD LLC (WebMD Health Corporation)
• Inventors: JOHNSON, Ann Mond, DONLAN, Joseph, FIACCO, John, HORN, Alan, HEILMAN, Tracy
• Application Number:
  US14/246,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• 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

Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method that can comprise, for a predetermined user, automatically determining a score for each resource from a plurality of predetermined resources based on the user'"'"'s weighting of predetermined factors associated with the resources and an objective score for each factor for each resource, ranking the scored resources, and/or providing an identity of a best matched resource for the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from at least one of a user and a third party, a set of weights corresponding to a plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

receiving, for each of a plurality of healthcare resources, by the computer system, a set of healthcare resource scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determining, for each of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, by the computer system, a group score based on the received healthcare resource scores from each received set of healthcare resource scores for a corresponding healthcare resource selection factor from the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determining, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, by the computer system, a set of adjusted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the set of adjusted scores based on a comparison of i) the healthcare resource score for the corresponding healthcare resource and the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor, and ii) the group score for the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor;

determining, by the computer system, a weighted score set for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, the weighted score set including weighted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the weighted score set determined based on the set of adjusted scores and the corresponding set of weights;

determining, by the computer system, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, an absolute score based on the corresponding weighted score set; and

ranking, by the computer system, at least a subset of the plurality of healthcare resources based on the absolute score of each corresponding healthcare resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party comprises at least one medical professional who has expertise in medical specialties related to at least some of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of healthcare resources comprises at least one of a hospital, a physician, a dentist, an optometrist, a therapist, a counselor, a healthcare service provider, an outpatient facility, a long-term care facility, a home healthcare facility, a pharmacy, a laboratory, a reimbursement plan, a health insurance plan, a healthcare procedure, a healthcare treatment, a healthcare service, a medication, a healthcare supplement, a healthcare device, a healthcare machine, a healthcare tool, a healthcare software, and a healthcare information service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from at least one of the user and the third party, the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a healthcare resource from the plurality of healthcare resources with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within a predetermined geographic region.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether at least one of the plurality of healthcare resources located outside the predetermined geographic region has a higher absolute score than the identified healthcare resource with the highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within the predetermined geographic region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group score is an average of each of the healthcare resource scores of the plurality of healthcare resources for the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to;

receive, from at least one of a user and a third party, a set of weights corresponding to a plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

receive, for each of a plurality of healthcare resources, a set of healthcare resource scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, a group score based on received healthcare resource scores from each received set of healthcare resource scores for a corresponding healthcare resource selection factor from the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, a set of adjusted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the set of adjusted scores based on a comparison of i) the healthcare resource score for the corresponding healthcare resource and the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor, and ii) the group score for the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor;

determine a weighted score set for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, the weighted score set including weighted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the weighted score set determined based on the set of adjusted scores and the corresponding set of weights;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, an absolute score based on the corresponding weighted score set; and

rank at least a subset of the plurality of healthcare resources based on the absolute score of each corresponding healthcare resource.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third party comprises at least one medical professional who has expertise in medical specialties related to at least some of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of healthcare resources comprises at least one of a hospital, a physician, a dentist, an optometrist, a therapist, a counselor, a healthcare service provider, an outpatient facility, a long-term care facility, a home healthcare facility, a pharmacy, a laboratory, a reimbursement plan, a health insurance plan, a healthcare procedure, a healthcare treatment, a healthcare service, a medication, a healthcare supplement, a healthcare device, a healthcare machine, a healthcare tool, a healthcare software, and a healthcare information service.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to receive, from at least one of the user and the third party, the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to identify a healthcare resource from the plurality of healthcare resources with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within a predetermined geographic region.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of healthcare resources located outside the predetermined geographic region has a higher absolute score than the identified healthcare resource with the highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within the predetermined geographic region.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the group score is an average of each of the healthcare resource scores of the plurality of healthcare resources for the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, from at least one of a user and a third party, a set of weights corresponding to a plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

receive, for each of a plurality of healthcare resources, a set of healthcare resource scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, a group score based on received healthcare resource scores from each received set of healthcare resource scores for a corresponding healthcare resource selection factor from the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, a set of adjusted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the set of adjusted scores based on a comparison of i) the healthcare resource score for the corresponding healthcare resource and the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor, and ii) the group score for the corresponding healthcare resource selection factor;

determine a weighted score set for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, the weighted score set including weighted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors, the weighted score set determined based on the set of adjusted scores and the corresponding set of weights;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare resources, an absolute score based on the corresponding weighted score set; and

rank at least a subset of the plurality of healthcare resources based on the absolute score of each corresponding healthcare resource.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the third party comprises at least one medical professional who has expertise in medical specialties related to at least some of the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of healthcare resources comprises at least one of a hospital, a physician, a dentist, an optometrist, a therapist, a counselor, a healthcare service provider, an outpatient facility, a long-term care facility, a home healthcare facility, a pharmacy, a laboratory, a reimbursement plan, a health insurance plan, a healthcare procedure, a healthcare treatment, a healthcare service, a medication, a healthcare supplement, a healthcare device, a healthcare machine, a healthcare tool, a healthcare software, and a healthcare information service.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to receive, from at least one of the user and the third party, the plurality of healthcare resource selection factors.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to identify a healthcare resource from the plurality of healthcare resources with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within a predetermined geographic region.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to determine whether at least one of the plurality of healthcare resources located outside the predetermined geographic region has a higher absolute score than the identified healthcare resource with the highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare resources within the predetermined geographic region.