Tracking the availability of service providers across multiple platforms

• US 8,600,773 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• 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:
  US12/913,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Amongst other things, the availability of service providers is tracked across one or more service provider networks. A status change of the service provider is identified on one or more of the service provider networks and the other service provider networks associated with the service provider is sent data indicating the changed status of the service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprises:

accessing information indicative of a plurality of health-plan networks in which a service provider is enrolled, with a health-plan network including a group of affiliated service providers that are accessible through an online environment;

tracking by one or more computer systems, an availability status of the service provider in the plurality of health-plan networks in which the service provider is enrolled, with the availability status indicative of an availability state of the service provider for a consultation with a consumer, with the availability state being selected from the group consisting of on line accepting new engagements, on line busy, schedule, offline, off-line take message-based engagements, out-of-office, and standby;

identifying by the one or more computer systems a change in the availability status of the service provider on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated; and

sending, by the one or more computer systems to at least some of remaining ones of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated, data indicating the change in the availability status of the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the availability status of the service provider is available, logging the service provider into the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking comprises:

using one or more centralized brokerage systems to determine the service provider'"'"'s availability status.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering the service provider'"'"'s availability status with a centralized brokerage system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

receiving data indicating a change in the service provider'"'"'s availability status on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the actions of tracking, identifying and sending are executed in response to:

receiving a request from the consumer using one of the health-plan networks to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; and

identifying an available service provider associated with the one of the health-plan networks that has a service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending comprises:

sending a notification message to the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks, wherein the notification message causes an availability status of the service provider in the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks to be updated with the change.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service provider is a first service provider and the availability status is a first availability status, and wherein the method further comprises:

pooling the first availability status with a second availability status for a second service provider in a centralized brokerage system.

9. A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable hardware storage device, the computer program product for tracking availability of service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

access information indicative of a plurality of health-plan networks in which a service provider is enrolled, with a health-plan network including a group of affiliated service providers that are accessible through an online environment;

track an availability status of the service provider in the plurality of health-plan networks in which the service provider is enrolled, with the availability status indicative of an availability state of the service provider for a consultation with a consumer, with the availability state being selected from the group consisting of on line accepting new engagements, on line busy, schedule, offline, off-line take message-based engagements, out-of-office, and;

identify a change in the availability status of the service provider on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated; and

send, to at least some of remaining ones of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated, data indicating the change in the availability status of the service provider.

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

when the availability status of the service provider is available, log the service provider into the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to track comprise instructions to:

use one or more centralized brokerage systems to determine the service provider'"'"'s availability status.

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

register the service provider'"'"'s availability status with a centralized brokerage system.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to identify comprise instructions to:

receive data indicating a change in the service provider'"'"'s availability status on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to track, identify and send are executed in response to instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer using one of the health-plan networks to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; and

identify an available service provider associated with the one of the health-plan networks that has a service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions to send comprise instructions to:

send a notification message to the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks, wherein the notification message causes an availability status of the service provider in the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks to be updated with the change.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the service provider is a first service provider and the availability status is a first availability status, and further comprising instructions to:

pool the first availability status with a second availability status for a second service provider in a centralized brokerage system.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable hardware storage device, the computer program product for tracking availability of service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

access information indicative of a plurality of health-plan networks in which a service provider is enrolled, with a health-plan network including a group of affiliated service providers that are accessible through an online environment;

track an availability status of the service provider in the plurality of health-plan networks in which the service provider is enrolled, with the availability status indicative of an availability state of the service provider for a consultation with a consumer, with the availability state being selected from the group consisting of on line accepting new engagements, on line busy, schedule, offline, off-line take message-based engagements, out-of-office, and;

identify a change in the availability status of the service provider on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated; and

send, to at least some of remaining ones of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated, data indicating the change in the availability status of the service provider.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the computer product further comprising instructions to:

when the availability status of the service provider is available, log the service provider into the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instructions to track comprise instructions to:

use one or more centralized brokerage systems to determine the service provider'"'"'s availability status.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, the computer product further comprising instructions to:

register the service provider'"'"'s availability status with a centralized brokerage system.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instruction to identify comprise instructions to:

receive data indicating a change in the service provider'"'"'s availability status on one or more of the health-plan networks with which the service provider is associated.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instructions to track, identify and send are executed in response to instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer using one of the health-plan networks to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; and

identify an available service provider associated with the one of the health-plan networks that has a service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions to send comprise instructions to:

send a notification message to the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks, wherein the notification message causes an availability status of the service provider in the at least some of the remaining ones of the health-plan networks to be updated with the change.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the service provider is a first service provider and the availability status is a first availability status, and wherein the computer product further comprising instructions to:

pool the first availability status with a second availability status for a second service provider in a centralized brokerage system.