Physician recommendation system

• US 8,103,524 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, Lisa H., Singampalli, Srinivas, Gakhar, Bindu, Ali, Safia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winston, III, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/323,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 method for recommending a physician, comprising obtaining user feedback for the physician prior to obtaining a plurality of search criteria, obtaining the plurality of search criteria specifying physician expertise, identifying a plurality of physicians based on a search of the plurality of search criteria, wherein the search is performed on a user generated physician expertise data set, performing a comparison of the plurality of physicians, and displaying a recommendation for one of the plurality of physicians based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for generating a physician recommendation, comprising:

obtaining, using a computer processor and from a first patient, a first patient feedback for a first physician and a second physician wherein the first patient feedback indicates that the first physician is a favorite physician of the first patient, as specified by said first patient;

obtaining, using the computer processor and from a second patient, a second patient feedback for the first physician and the second physician, wherein the second patient feedback indicates that the first physician is the favorite physician of the second patient;

as specified by the second patient;

receiving, using the computer processor and from a third patient, a medical condition criterion specifying a medical condition of the third patient;

searching, using the computer processor and the medical condition criterion, a plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and a second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in treating the medical condition;

ranking, using the computer processor, the first physician with a first rank and the second physician with a second rank, wherein the first rank and the second rank are based on the first patient feedback and the second patient feedback, and wherein the first rank exceeds the second rank; and

wherein the feedback comprises the first and second patients specifying experiences with said first and second physicians related to the medical condition;

generating, using the computer processor, the physician recommendation for the first physician based on the first rank exceeding the second rank.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the second physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the first medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed a medical procedure on the first patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the first physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the first physician;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the second physician includes a second medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the second medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed the medical procedure on the second patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the first physician includes a second medical procedure for the first physician;

receiving, from the third patient, a medical procedure criteria specifying the medical procedure to be performed on the third patient;

searching, using the medical procedure criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in performing the medical procedure;

ranking the first physician with a first medical procedure rank and the second physician with a second medical procedure rank, wherein the first medical procedure rank and the second medical procedure rank are based on the first medical procedure feedback and the second medical procedure feedback, and wherein the second physician medical procedure rank exceeds the first physician medical procedure rank; and

generating the physician recommendation for the second physician based on the second rank exceeding the first rank.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a profile of the second physician after generating the physician recommendation; and

storing the profile.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying the profile as a favorite profile of the first patient;

receiving, from the first patient, a request to store the profile as the favorite profile;

adding the favorite profile to a list of favorite profiles of the first patient; and

storing the favorite profile.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, from the first patient, a request to share the profile with the second patient; and

sharing the profile with the second patient by emailing the profile to the second patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first patient, a request to schedule an appointment with the first physician; and

scheduling the appointment with the first physician.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

calculating a number of days between a current date and a calendar date of the appointment;

determining that the number of days is less than a threshold;

generating, in response to the number of days being less than the threshold, a reminder text message for the appointment with the first physician plurality of physicians; and

transmitting the reminder text to the first patient through a mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, to the first patient, a plurality of questions related to the first physician

receiving a plurality of answers to the plurality of questions from the first patient; and

updating a profile of the first physician using the plurality of answers from the first patient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first physician is not available;

generating, in response to the first physician not being available, a secondary physician recommendation for the second physician; and

displaying the secondary physician recommendation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first patient feedback further comprises a comment by the first patient on an experience with the first physician following a submission of an insurance claim.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first patient feedback is associated with a financial application.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching, using an alternative medicine criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician practice alternative medicine.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching, using a total patients treated criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician has treated a first number of patients in a time period, and the second physician has treated a second number of patients in the time period.

14. A system for generating a physician recommendation, comprising:

a processor; and

a physician recommendation system executing on the processor resident in memory and configured to;

obtain, from a first patient, a first patient feedback for a first physician and a feedback for a second physician wherein the first patient feedback indicates that the first physician is a favorite physician of the first patient, as specified by the first patient;

obtain, from a second patient, a second patient feedback for the first physician and the second physician, wherein the second patient feedback indicates that the first physician is the favorite physician of the second patient, as specified by the second patient;

receive, from a third patient, a medical condition criterion specifying a medical condition of the third patient;

search, using the medical condition criterion, a plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and a second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in treating the medical condition;

rank the first physician with a first rank and the second physician with a second rank, wherein the first rank and the second rank are based on the first patient feedback and the second patient feedback, and wherein the first rank exceeds the second rank; and

wherein the feedback comprises the first and second patients specifying experiences with said first and second physicians related to the medical condition;

generate the physician recommendation for the first physician based on the first rank exceeding the second rank.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the physician recommendation system is further includes:

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the second physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the first medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed a medical procedure on the first patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the first physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the first physician;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the second physician includes a second medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the second medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed the medical procedure on the second patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the first physician includes a second medical procedure for the first physician;

receiving, from the third patient, a medical procedure criteria specifying the medical procedure to be performed on the third patient;

searching, using the medical procedure criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in performing the medical procedure;

ranking the first physician with a first medical procedure rank and the second physician with a second medical procedure rank, wherein the first medical procedure rank and the second medical procedure rank are based on the first medical procedure feedback and the second medical procedure feedback, and wherein the second physician medical procedure rank exceeds the first physician medical procedure rank; and

generating the physician recommendation for the second physician based on the second rank exceeding the first rank.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the physician recommendation system is further configured to:

display a profile of the second physician after generating the physician recommendation; and

store the profile.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the physician recommendation system is further configured to:

receive, from the first patient, a request to schedule an appointment with the first physician; and

schedule the appointment with the first physician.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the physician recommendation system is further configured to:

calculate a number of days between a current date and a calendar date of the appointment;

determine that the number of days is less than a threshold;

generate, in response to the number of days being less than the threshold, a reminder text message for the appointment with the first physician; and

transmit the reminder text to the first patient through a mobile device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the physician recommendation system is further configured to:

determine that the first physician is not available;

generate, in response to the first physician not being available, a secondary physician recommendation for the second physician; and

display the secondary physician recommendation.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the physician recommendation system is further configured to remove identifying information of the first patient from the first patient feedback before generating the physician recommendation.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for generating a physician recommendation, the instructions comprising functionality to:

obtain, from a first patient, a first patient feedback for a first physician and a second physician wherein the first patient feedback indicates that the first physician is a favorite physician of the first patient, as specified by the first patient;

obtain, from a second patient, a second patient feedback for the first physician and the second physician, wherein the second patient feedback indicates that the first physician is the favorite physician of the second patient;

as specified by the second patient;

receive, from a third patient, a medical condition criterion specifying a medical condition of the third patient;

search, using the medical condition criterion, a plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and a second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in treating the medical condition;

rank the first physician with a first rank and the second physician with a second rank, wherein the first rank and the second rank are based on the first patient feedback and the second patient feedback, and wherein the first rank exceeds the second rank;

wherein the feedback comprises the first and second patients specifying experiences with said first and second physicians related to the medical condition; and

generate the physician recommendation for the first physician based on the first rank exceeding the second rank.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further including:

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the second physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the first medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed a medical procedure on the first patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the first patient for the first physician includes a first medical procedure feedback for the first physician;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the second physician includes a second medical procedure feedback for the second physician, wherein the second medical procedure feedback indicates that the second physician successfully performed the medical procedure on the second patient;

wherein the feedback obtained from the second patient for the first physician includes a second medical procedure for the first physician;

receiving, from the third patient, a medical procedure criteria specifying the medical procedure to be performed on the third patient;

searching, using the medical procedure criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician specialize in performing the medical procedure;

ranking the first physician with a first medical procedure rank and the second physician with a second medical procedure rank, wherein the first medical procedure rank and the second medical procedure rank are based on the first medical procedure feedback and the second medical procedure feedback, and wherein the second physician medical procedure rank exceeds the first physician medical procedure rank; and

generating the physician recommendation for the second physician one of the refined plurality of physicians based on the second rank exceeding the first rank.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

display a profile of the second physician after generating the physician recommendation; and

store the profile.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

identify the profile as a favorite profile of the first patient;

receive, from the first patient, a request to store the profile as the favorite profile;

add the favorite profile to a list of favorite profiles of the first patient; and

store the favorite profile.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

receive, from the first patient, a request to share the profile with the second patient; and

share the profile with the second patient by emailing the profile to the second patient.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

display, to the first patient, a plurality of questions related to the first physician

receive a plurality of answers to the plurality of questions from the first patient; and

update a profile of the first physician using the plurality of answers from the first patient.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

determine that the first physician is not available;

generate, in response to the first physician not being available, a secondary physician recommendation for the second physician; and

display the secondary physician recommendation.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first patient feedback further comprises a comment by the first patient on an experience with the first physician following a submission of an insurance claim.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

search, using an alternative medicine criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician and the second physician practice alternative medicine.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

search, using a total patients treated criteria, the plurality of physicians to identify the first physician and the second physician, wherein the first physician has treated a first number of patients in a time period, and the second physician has treated a second number of patients in the time period.