Systems, devices, and methods for providing healthcare information

• US 8,694,336 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WebMD LLC (WebMD Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebMD LLC (WebMD Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Horn, Alan, Johnson, Ann Mond, Donlan, Joseph, Heilman, Tracy, Fiacco, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/010,253
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 705/7.38
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• 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

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method that can comprise, for a predetermined user, automatically determining a score for each resource from a plurality of predetermined resources based on the user'"'"'s weighting of predetermined factors associated with the resources and an objective score for each factor for each resource, ranking the scored resources, and/or providing an identity of a best matched resource for the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to;

receive from a user a set of weights corresponding to a plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

receive, for each of a plurality of healthcare facilities, a set of healthcare facility scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, a group score based on received healthcare facility scores from each received set of healthcare facility scores for a corresponding healthcare facility selection factor from the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, a set of adjusted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, the set of adjusted scores based on a comparison of i) the healthcare facility score for the corresponding healthcare facility and the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor, and ii) the group score for the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor;

determine a weighted score set for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, the weighted score set including weighted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, the weighted score set determined based on the set of adjusted scores and the corresponding set of weights;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, an absolute score based on the corresponding weighted score set; and

rank at least a subset of the plurality of healthcare facilities based on the absolute score of each corresponding healthcare facility.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to determine a geographic region associated with the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to provide the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors to the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to determine:

i) a minimum absolute score for the plurality of healthcare facilities, and ii) a maximum absolute score, the maximum absolute score being determined for only the plurality of healthcare facilities that are located in a predetermined geographic region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

determine;

i) a minimum absolute score for the plurality of healthcare facilities, and ii) a maximum absolute score, the maximum absolute score being determined for only the plurality of healthcare facilities that are located in a predetermined geographic region; and

for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities in the predetermined geographic region, determine a match score based on the absolute score of the corresponding healthcare facility, the minimum absolute score, and the maximum absolute score.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to identify a healthcare facility from the plurality of healthcare facilities with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to identify a healthcare facility from the plurality of healthcare facilities with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities within a predetermined geographic region.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of healthcare facilities located outside the predetermined geographic region has a higher absolute score than the identified healthcare facility with the highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities within the predetermined geographic region.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the group score is an average of each of the healthcare facility scores of the plurality of healthcare facilities for the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor of the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive from a user a set of weights corresponding to a plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

receive, for each of a plurality of healthcare facilities, a set of healthcare facility scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, a group score based on healthcare facility scores from each received set of healthcare facility scores for a corresponding healthcare facility selection factor from the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, a set of adjusted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, the set of adjusted scores based on a comparison of i) the healthcare facility score for the corresponding healthcare facility and-the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor, and ii) the group score for the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor;

determine a weighted score set for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, the weighted score set including weighted scores corresponding to the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors, the weighted score set determined based on the set of adjusted scores and the corresponding set of weights;

determine, for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities, an absolute score based on the corresponding weighted score set; and

rank at least a subset of the plurality of healthcare facilities based on the absolute score of each corresponding healthcare facility.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to determine a geographic region associated with the user.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to provide the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors to the user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to determine:

i) a minimum absolute score for the plurality of healthcare facilities, and ii) a maximum absolute score, the maximum absolute score being determined for only the plurality of healthcare facilities that are located in a predetermined geographic region.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

determine;

i) a minimum absolute score for the plurality of healthcare facilities, and ii) a maximum absolute score, the maximum absolute score being determined for only the plurality of healthcare facilities that are located in a predetermined geographic region; and

for each of the plurality of healthcare facilities in the predetermined geographic region, determine a match score based on the absolute score of the corresponding healthcare facility, the minimum absolute score, and the maximum absolute score.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to identify a healthcare facility from the plurality of healthcare facilities with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to identify a healthcare facility from the plurality of healthcare facilities with a highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities within a predetermined geographic region.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to determine whether at least one of the plurality of healthcare facilities located outside the predetermined geographic region has a higher absolute score than the identified healthcare facility with the highest absolute score among the plurality of healthcare facilities within the predetermined geographic region.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the group score is an average of each of the healthcare facility scores of the plurality of healthcare facilities for the corresponding healthcare facility selection factor of the plurality of healthcare facility selection factors.