Connecting consumers with service providers

• US 8,249,898 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• 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): Dunham, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, AMBER ALTSCHUL
• Application Number:
  US12/881,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 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 by one or more computing systems a set of answers to a series of questions sent to a consumer of services;

determining by the one or more computing systems one or more medical issues for the consumer, with the determined one or more medical issues based on the set of answers;

retrieving, based on the determined one or more medical issues, one or more topics associated with the determined one or more medical issues; and

generating by the one or more computing systems a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders;

a visual representation of the one or more topics,

a visual representation of a first link, selection of which enables the consumer to search for a service provider associated with the one or more retrieved medical topics, and

a visual representation of a second link, selection of which establishes a communication channel between the consumer and the service provider.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a communication channel between the consumer of services and the service provider.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein establishing the communication channel comprises:

receiving a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider;

identifying by the one or more computing systems a service provider within a set of available service providers and having a service provider profile matching at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

initiating the communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the service provider is a first service provider, and the method further comprises:

identifying by the one or more computing systems a second service provider within the set of available service providers and having a service provider profile matching at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

establishing a communication channel between the consumer of services and the second identified service provider.

5. The computer implemented 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.

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

a visual representation of an agenda comprising information indicative of;

the one or more of the medical issues for the consumer, and

the one or more topics for the consumer to discuss with the service provider.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the service provider comprises a first service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to transmit the agenda to a second service provider; and

transmitting the agenda to the second, requested service provider.

8. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

determine one or more medical issues for the consumer, with the determined one or more medical issues based on the set of answers;

retrieve one or more topics associated with the determined one or more medical issues; and

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders;

a visual representation of the one or more topics,

a visual representation of a first link, selection of which enables the consumer to search for a service provider associated with the one or more retrieved medical topics, and

a visual representation of a second link, selection of which establishes a communication channel between the consumer and the service provider.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions to:

receive a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider;

identify a service provider within a set of available service providers of and having a service provider profile matching at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

initiate a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the service provider comprises a first service provider, and wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions to:

identify a second service provider within the set of available service providers and having a service provider profile matching at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes; and

initiate a communication between the consumer of services and the second identified service provider.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, 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 instruction to generate, further comprise 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 8, wherein instructions to generate the graphical user interface when rendered on the display device further comprises instructions to render:

a visual representation of an agenda comprising information indicative of;

the one or more of the medical issues for the consumer, and

the one or more topics for the consumer to discuss with the service provider.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the service provider comprises a first service provider, and wherein the computer program product further comprises instruction to:

receive a request to transmit the agenda to a second service provider; and

transmit the agenda to the second, requested service provider.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

determine one or more medical issues for the consumer, with the determined one or more medical issues based on the set of answers;

retrieve one or more topics associated with the determined one or more medical issues; and

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device, renders;

a visual representation of the one or more topics,

a visual representation of a first link, selection of which enables the consumer to search for a service provider associated with the one or more retrieved medical topics, and

a visual representation of a second link, selection of which establishes a communication channel between the consumer and the service provider.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer program product further comprises 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 instruction to generate, further comprise 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.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein instructions to generate the graphical user interface when rendered on the display device further comprises instructions to render:

a visual representation of an agenda comprising information indicative of;

the one or more of the medical issues for the consumer, and

the one or more topics for the consumer to discuss with the service provider.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the service provider comprises a first service provider, and wherein the computer program product further comprises instruction to:

receive a request to transmit the agenda to a second service provider; and

transmit the agenda to the second, requested service provider.