Connecting patients with emergency/urgent health care

• US 9,171,342 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthgrades Marketplace LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Health Grades Incorporated (Mountain Acquisition Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Neal, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xiao, Di
• Application Number:
  US13/004,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/739, 715/742, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A computer network-based service provides search capabilities and mechanisms for connecting potential patients with emergency, urgent, and convenient care facilities. Patients make informed decisions regarding their treatment options by reviewing search results regarding facility wait times, geographic proximities of facilities, quality ratings of facilities for particular specialties, etc. Upon selecting a facility, patients may electronically transmit a notification to the facility indicating their medical condition(s) and estimated arrival time. The facility may approve or deny the treatment request by sending an electronic response. The facility may also request further information to triage the patient before his/her actual arrival and/or may provide instructions to assist the patient while en route. Navigation satellite systems may identify the patient'"'"'s location for processing search requests and determining the proximity of facilities. Further, contact mechanisms, e.g., phone numbers, for contacting facilities directly may be accessed from the search service and tracked.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing healthcare facility information to potential patients, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server computer, a request for information regarding one or more types of healthcare facilities, wherein the request is transmitted over a computer network, and wherein the one or more types of healthcare facilities comprises one or more from the group consisting of;

emergency care, urgent care, and convenient care;

receiving one or more ranking preferences;

providing a results list based on the request for information, wherein the results list comprises information regarding two or more healthcare facilities, and wherein the two or more healthcare facilities are ordered in the results list based at least in part on the one or more ranking preferences, the results list further comprising a reminder to call 9-1-1 for immediate care;

receiving a selection of a first healthcare facility of the two or more healthcare facilities;

in response to receiving the selection, providing a notification form for the first healthcare facility, wherein identification information for the first medical healthcare facility is displayed on the notification form, and wherein the notification form requests personal information comprising a first name, a last name, and a phone number;

receiving the notification form with data entered into the notification form;

transmitting the request to visit the selected first healthcare facility, wherein transmitting the request comprises sending the notification form to the first healthcare facility; and

in response to transmitting the request, sending a confirmation page, wherein the confirmation page comprises a time based upon the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding one or more healthcare facilities further comprises information related to one or more from a group consisting of:

closest geographic proximity of the one or more healthcare facilities, and quality ratings of the one or more healthcare facilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data entered into the notification form further comprises an estimated arrival time of a first potential patient at the first healthcare facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a contact mechanism to directly contact a healthcare practitioner for a medical consultation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contact mechanism comprises one or more from the group consisting of:

a phone number, an electronic mail (email) address, and a Short Message Service (SMS) address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the contact mechanism is unique to allow for tracking of use of the contact mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification form with data is received from a first potential patient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a response from the first healthcare facility to the notification form, wherein the response comprises confirming to admit the first potential patient to the first healthcare facility.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending a request for additional information to the first potential patient, wherein the additional information comprises information to allow the first healthcare facility to triage the first potential patient.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more portions of the data entered into the notification form is received from a navigation satellite system, and wherein the one or more portions of the data from the navigation satellite system identifies the first potential patient'"'"'s current geographic location.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more portions of the notification form are automatically populated with data from a database comprising data of users affiliated with a company providing the healthcare facility information to potential patients.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a contact mechanism for directly contacting the first healthcare facility, and wherein the contact mechanism comprises one or more from the group consisting of:

a phone number, an electronic mail (email) address, and a Short Message Service (SMS) address.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact mechanism is unique to allow for tracking of use of the contact mechanism.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more portions of the data entered into the notification form is received from a navigation satellite system, and wherein the one or more portions of the data from the navigation satellite system identifies the first potential patient'"'"'s current geographic location.

14. A computer system for connecting healthcare facilities with potential patients, the system comprising:

at least one computer processor; and

memory coupled with and readable by the at least one computer processor and comprising a series of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the at least one computer processor to;

receive a request for information regarding one or more types of emergency care facilities;

receive one or more ranking preferences;

provide a results list based on the request for information, wherein the results list comprises information regarding two or more emergency care facilities, and wherein the two or more emergency care facilities are ordered based at least in part on the one or more ranking preferences, the results list further comprising a reminder to call 9-1-1 for immediate care;

receive a selection of a first healthcare facility of the one or more emergency care facilities;

in response to receiving the selection, providing a notification form for the first emergency care facility, wherein the notification is displayed electronically, wherein identification information for the first emergency care facility is displayed on the notification form, and wherein the notification form requests personal information comprising a first name, a last name, and a phone number;

receive the notification form with data entered into the notification form;

transmit the request to visit the selected first emergency care facility, wherein transmitting the request comprises sending the notification form to the first emergency care facility; and

in response to transmitting the request, sending a confirmation page, wherein the confirmation page comprises a time based upon the request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information regarding one or more emergency care facilities further comprises information related to one or more from a group consisting of:

closest geographic proximity of the one or more emergency care facilities, and quality ratings of the one or more emergency care facilities.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the at least one processor to:

send a request for additional information to the first potential patient, wherein the additional information comprises information to allow the first emergency care facility to triage the first potential patient.

18. A non-transitory computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for providing a method for requesting healthcare facility information, the method comprising:

requesting healthcare facility information for one or more types of healthcare facilities, wherein the one or more types of healthcare facilities comprises one or more from the group consisting of;

emergency care, urgent care, and convenient care;

providing search criteria for the one or more types of healthcare facilities;

providing one or more ranking preferences;

receiving a search results list, wherein the search results list comprises information regarding two or more healthcare facilities, and wherein the two or more healthcare facilities are ordered based at least in part on the one or more ranking preferences, the results list further comprising a reminder to call 9-1-1 for immediate care;

selecting a first healthcare facility of the one or more healthcare facilities;

in response to selecting the first healthcare facility, receiving a notification form for the first healthcare facility, wherein identification information for the first medical healthcare facility is displayed on the notification form, and wherein the notification form requests personal information comprising a first name, a last name, and a phone number;

sending a request to visit the first healthcare facility, wherein sending the request comprises providing the notification form;

in response to providing the notification form, receiving a confirmation page, wherein the confirmation page comprises a time based upon the request.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the information regarding one or more healthcare facilities further comprises information related to one or more from a group consisting of:

wait times at the one or more healthcare facilities, closest geographic proximity of the one or more healthcare facilities, and quality ratings of the one or more healthcare facilities.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein a first portion of notification form is automatically populated with data received from a navigation satellite system, and wherein the data received from the navigation satellite system identifies a current geographic location of a first user requesting the healthcare facility information.