Connecting consumers with service providers

• US 7,848,937 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, AMBER ALTSCHUL
• Application Number:
  US11/763,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A set of answers is received to a series of questions sent to a consumer of services, the set of answers to the series of questions is analyzed in a computer to identify types of service providers that can provide services to the consumer based on the received answers, and an agenda is produced, the agenda including the identified types of service providers and topics for the consumer of services to discuss with a service provider of each type, with the topics determined at least in part based on the answers.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprises:

receiving a set of answers to a series of questions regarding a health assessment sent to a consumer of services;

analyzing in a computer the set of answers to the series of questions by;

accessing a database storing process logic and rules data; and

applying the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer to determine in the computer one or more medical issues for the consumer;

generating in the computer, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions;

a list of types of service providers that can provide services to the consumer, and

a list of topics relating to the determined medical issues of the consumer of services;

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders a set of agenda item indicators that were determined based on the medical issues and a description of selected topics from the list of topics, with one or more of the topics in the list of topics juxtaposed to one or more of the agenda item indicators in the set of agenda item indicators.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating questions tailored to the consumer based at least in part on the received set of answers;

receiving answers to the questions tailored to the consumer; and

wherein generating, further comprises;

generating, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions and the answers received from the questions tailored to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the graphical user interface when rendered on a display device further renders:

one or more of the medical issues for the consumer and an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to transmit an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators to a second service provider; and

transmitting the agenda to the second, requested service provider.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a list of the determined medical issues;

receiving a request to transmit the list of the determined medical issues to a second service provider; and

transmitting the list of the determined medical issues to the second, requested service provider.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a request from a service provider to generate the second series of questions.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer;

determining whether additional information is needed to assess the medical issues of the consumer of services; and

if additional information is needed,

generating a second series of questions;

receiving a second set of answers to the second series of questions; and

applying the process logic and rules data to the received second set of answers from the consumer to determine the medical issues of the consumer of services.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying the process logic and rules data to the received information from the consumer to determine health goals of the consumer of services;

generating a list of health actions, based on the determined health goals of the consumer of services; and

populating an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators with the list of health actions.

9. A computer implemented method comprises:

receiving a set of answers to a series of questions regarding a health assessment sent to a patient;

analyzing in a computer the set of answers to the series of questions by;

accessing a database storing process logic and rules data; and

applying the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the patient to determine in the computer the medical issues for the patient; and

generating, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions;

a list of types of physicians that can treat the patient, and

a list of topics relating to the determined medical issues of the patient;

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders a set of agenda item indicators that were determined based on the medical issues and a description of selected topics from the list of topics, with one or more of the topics in the list of topics juxtaposed to one or more of the agenda item indicators in the set of agenda item indicators.

10. A computer program product residing on a computer readable storage medium for providing a consumer of services with an agenda of consultations with service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a set of answers to a series of questions regarding a health assessment sent to a consumer of services;

access a database storing process logic and rules data; and

apply the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer to determine in the computer the medical issues for the consumer;

generate, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions;

a list of service providers that can provide services to the consumer, and

a list of topics relating to the determined medical issues of the consumer of services; and

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders a set of agenda item indicators that were determined based on the medical issues and a description of selected topics from the list of topics, with one or more of the topics in the list of topics juxtaposed to one or more of the agenda item indicators in the set of agenda item indicators.

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

generate questions tailored to the consumer based at least in part on the received set of answers;

receive answers to the questions tailored to the consumer; and

wherein instructions to generate questions, further comprises instructions to;

generate, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions and the answers received from the questions tailored to the consumer.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to generate the graphical user interface, which when rendered on a display device further renders:

one or more of the medical issues for the consumer and an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators.

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

receive a request to transmit an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators to a second service provider; and

transmit the agenda to the second, requested service provider.

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

generate a list of the determined medical issues;

receive a request to transmit the list of the determined medical issues to a second service provider; and

transmit the list of the determined medical issues to the second, requested service provider.

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

apply the rules process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer;

determine whether additional information is needed to assess the medical issues of the consumer of services; and

if additional information is needed,

generate a second series of questions;

receive a second set of answers to the second series of questions; and

apply the process logic and rules data to the received second set of answers from the consumer to determine the medical issues of the consumer of services.

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

receive a request from a service provider to generate the second series of questions.

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

apply the process logic and rules data to the received information from the consumer to determine health goals of the consumer of services;

generate a list of health actions, based on the determined health goals of the consumer of services; and

populate an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators with the list of health actions.

18. A system comprising:

a networking appliance including a processor configured to;

receive a set of answers to a series of questions regarding a health assessment sent to a consumer of services;

access a database storing process logic and rules data; and

apply the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer to determine in the computer the medical issues for the consumer;

generate, based at least in part of the set of answers to the series of questions;

a list of types of service providers that can provide services to the consumer, and

a list of topics relating to the determined medical issues of the consumer of services; and

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders a set of agenda item indicators that were determined based on the medical issues and a description of selected topics from the list of topics, with one or more of the topics in the list of topics juxtaposed to one or more of the agenda item indicators in the set of agenda item indicators.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate questions tailored to the consumer based at least in part on the received set of answers;

receive answers to the questions tailored to the consumer; and

wherein instructions to generate questions, further comprises instructions to;

generate, based at least in part on analysis of the set of answers to the series of questions and the answers received from the questions tailored to the consumer.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein instructions to generate the graphical user interface further comprise instruction to generate the graphical user interface which when rendered on a display device further renders:

one or more of medical issues for the consumer and an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request to transmit an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators to a second service provider; and

transmit the agenda to the second, requested service provider.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a list of the determined medical issues;

receive a request to transmit the list of the determined medical issues to a second service provider; and

transmit the list oldie determined medical issues to the second, requested service provider.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

apply the process logic and rules data to the received set of answers from the consumer;

determine whether additional information is needed to assess the medical issues of the consumer of services; and

if additional information is needed,

generate a second series of questions;

receive a second set of answers to the second series of questions; and

apply the process logic and rules data to the received second set of answers from the consumer to determine the medical issues of the consumer of services.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from a service provider to generate the second series of questions.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to:

apply the process logic and rules data to the received information from the consumer to determine health goals of the consumer of services;

generate a list of health actions, based on the determined health goals of the consumer of services; and

populate an agenda associated with the set of agenda item indicators with the list of health actions.