Identifying trusted providers

• US 8,504,382 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• 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:
  US12/034,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• 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 computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet. The method also includes in response to the received request, displaying a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface. The method also includes providing an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a recommending medical service provider, with the one or more trusted medical service providers being recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

receiving, by the computer, a request from a consumer associated with the recommending medical service provider to engage in real time with the recommending medical service provider;

determining, by the computer, that the recommending medical service provider is unavailable to engage with the consumer;

generating by the computer a list of medical service providers available to engage with the consumer;

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device displays for the consumer the list of medical service providers;

receiving, by the computer, a selection of a medical service provider;

comparing the selected medical service provider to the one or more trusted medical service providers recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

determining that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider; and

updating the graphical user interface to render on the display device a visual indicator associated with the selected medical service provider, the visual indicator indicating that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommending medical service provider comprises a primary care physician.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

displaying the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a tree of medical service providers associated with the recommending medical service provider, the tree including the trusted medical service providers identified by the recommending medical service provider and medical service providers identified by the one or more trusted medical service providers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the consumer about a particular one of the trusted medical service providers; and

providing the feedback to the recommending medical service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing compensation to the recommending medical service provider if the consumer engages with a medical service provider included in the list of trusted medical service providers for the recommending medical service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to an engagement between a consumer and a particular medical service provider, receiving feedback from the consumer related to the engagement;

generating a provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback; and

displaying the provider rating in a provider profile for the service provider, the provider rating reflecting the quality of the provider'"'"'s interaction with the consumers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, on the graphical user interface, an indicator associated with a provider rating of at least some of the providers included in the list, the provider rating being based on feedback from other consumers.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers in real time, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a recommending medical service provider, with the one or more trusted medical service providers being recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

receive a request from a consumer associated with the recommending medical service provider to engage in real time with the recommending medical service provider;

determine that the recommending medical service provider is unavailable to engage with the consumer;

generate a list of medical service providers available to engage with the consumer;

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device displays for the consumer the list of medical service providers;

receive a selection of a medical service provider;

compare the selected medical service provider to the one or more trusted medical service providers recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

determine that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider; and

update the graphical user interface to render on the display device a visual indicator associated with the selected medical service provider, the visual indicator indicating that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider.

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

receive a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

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

generate a tree of medical service providers associated with the recommending medical service provider, the tree including the trusted medical service providers identified by the recommending medical service provider and medical service providers identified by the one or more trusted medical service providers.

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

receive feedback from the consumer about a particular one of the trusted medical service providers;

and

provide the feedback to the recommending medical service provider.

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

provide compensation to the recommending medical service provider if the consumer engages with a medical service provider included in the list of trusted medical service providers for the recommending medical service provider.

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

subsequent to an engagement between a consumer and a particular medical service provider, receive feedback from the consumer related to the engagement;

generate a provider rating based, at least in part, on the received feedback; and

display the provider rating in a provider profile for the service provider, the provider rating reflecting the quality of the provider'"'"'s interaction with the consumers.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

receive an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a recommending medical service provider, with the one or more trusted medical service providers being recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

receive a request from a consumer associated with the recommending medical service provider to engage in real time with the recommending medical service provider;

determine that the recommending medical service provider is unavailable to engage with the consumer;

generate a list of medical service providers available to engage with the consumer;

generate a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device displays for the consumer the list of medical service providers;

receive a selection of a medical service provider;

compare the selected medical service provider to the one or more trusted medical service providers recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

determine that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider; and

update the graphical user interface to render on the display device a visual indicator associated with the selected medical service provider, the visual indicator indicating that the selected medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider that has been recommended by the recommending medical service provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further configured to:

receive a request from the consumer to engage with a medical service provider specializing in a particular area of medical practice; and

display the list of medical service providers comprises displaying the name of at least one of the one or more trusted medical service providers specializing in the particular area of medical practice.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, an identification of one or more trusted medical service providers from a recommending medical service provider;

receiving, by the computer, a request from a consumer associated with the recommending medical service provider to engage in real-time consultation with the recommending medical service provider;

determining, by the computer, that the recommending medical service provider is unavailable to engage with the consumer;

retrieving a list of trusted medical service providers that have been recommended by the recommending medical service provider;

generating by the computer a list of medical service providers available to engage with the consumer; and

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device displays for the consumer the list of medical service providers available to engage with the consumer, with a visual indicator associated with the those medical service providers that are trusted medical service provider recommended by the recommending medical service provider.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating a tree of medical service providers associated with the recommending medical service provider, the tree including the trusted medical service providers identified by the recommending medical service provider and medical service providers identified by the one or more trusted medical service providers.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the consumer about a particular one of the trusted medical service providers; and

providing the feedback to the recommending medical service provider.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing compensation to the recommending medical service provider if the consumer engages with a medical service provider included in the list of trusted medical service providers for the recommending medical service provider.