Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090063188 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - A request is received from a consumer of services 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; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider. | 03-05-2009 |
20090089074 | Identifying Trusted Providers - 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. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089084 | Auctioning Provider Prices - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a computer-based system for connecting consumers with providers in real time over the Internet, requested compensation amounts from a plurality of providers. The method also includes displaying a price associated with consulting with a particular provider to a consumer on a user interface, the price being based at least in part on the requested compensation amount received from the provider. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089085 | Managing Utilization - A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer of medical services to engage with a provider of medical services in real time over the Internet using a computer-based brokerage system, accessing stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system, and determining allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089086 | ENHANCING REMOTE ENGAGEMENTS - An engagement is brokered between a consumer and a medical service provider; electronic text of a real-time, text-based communication between the medical service provider and the consumer is monitored during the engagement; the electronic text is analyzed for a triggering event related to at least one of medical diagnosis and medical treatment; the triggering event is detected in the electronic text; and medical information is provided to the medical service provider via a user interface in response to the triggering event. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089088 | Consolidation of Consumer Interactions within a Medical Brokerage System - In general in one aspect, agenda items are generated based on a consumer's one or more interactions with a system. The agenda items are consolidated into an agenda, a graphical user interface is produced that when rendered on a display displays the agenda, and a request from the consumer to interact with one or more of the agenda items is received. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089090 | Tracking the availability of service providers across multiple platforms - 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. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089096 | Documenting Remote Engagements - A service provider is prompted to provide a summary of an engagement with a consumer, an audible summary provided by the provider is recorded and, and the audible summary is associated with a record of the engagement. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089097 | Identification of Health Risks and Suggested Treatment Actions - Using a brokerage system, a consumer of services is matched with a service provider and a comprehensive health management plan is generated for the consumer during the consumer's interaction with the brokerage system. The brokerage system uses a rules engine to identify one or more conditions of the consumer's health and generate one or more follow-up actions based at least in part on the consumer's identified health condition. The consumer is notified of at least one of the identified conditions and the generated follow-up actions. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089098 | Identifying Clinical Trial Candidates - In general in one aspect, one or more clinical study candidates are identified by consolidating health care information for a consumer, applying the consumer's health care information to a rules engine, identifying a consumer as eligible to participate in one or more clinical studies, and presenting an opportunity to participate in the study to the consumer. | 04-02-2009 |
20090089147 | PROVIDER SUPPLY & CONSUMER DEMAND MANAGEMENT - Amongst other things, one or more requests is received from at least one consumer of services to consult with a service provider associated with a brokerage system and having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes. The consumer demand is measured for consultations with one or more service providers associated with the brokerage system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. A supply of active service providers associated with the system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes is also measured. It is determined whether an imbalance exists between the consumer demand for and the supply of active service providers having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. | 04-02-2009 |
20090112623 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - An animated representation of a consumer is enabled to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider; the selected characteristics of the medical service provider are received; an available medical service provider is identified based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and a communication channel is provided to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider. | 04-30-2009 |
20090113312 | Connecting Providers of Legal Services - In general, in one aspect, a real-time communication between a consumer of services and a provider of legal services is brokered using a brokerage system on a computer by: receiving a request from the consumer of services to consult with a provider of legal services; identifying an available provider of legal services; and activating a communication channel between the consumer of services and the available provider of legal services. Providers of legal services include, but are not limited to, an attorney, paralegal, or a legal advisor. | 04-30-2009 |
20090138317 | Connecting Providers of Financial Services - In general, in one aspect, a real-time communication between a consumer of services and a provider of financial services is brokered using a brokerage system on a computer by: receiving a request from the consumer of services to consult with a provider of financial services; identifying an available provider of financial services; and activating a communication channel between the consumer of services and the available provider of financial services. Providers of financial services include, but are not limited to, an account, a tax professional, or a financial advisor. | 05-28-2009 |
20090150252 | Connecting Service Providers And Consumers Of Services Independent Of Geographical Location - In general in one aspect, a request is received from a consumer of services in a first geographical location 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. A user interface that indicates available service providers and their respective geographic locations is rendered on a system. The consumer selects an available service provider in a second, different geographical location from the consumer and the available service provider satisfies at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes. A communication channel between the consumer of services and the selected service provider is established. | 06-11-2009 |
20090254361 | Continuity of Medical Care - A consumer is provided with continuity of medical care by being prompted to transfer data to a recipient, upon completion of the consumer's interaction with a brokerage system. The data obtained during the interactions is transferred to one or more recipients selected by the consumer. | 10-08-2009 |
20090262919 | Establishment of a Telephone Based Engagement - In general, in one aspect, a computer-implemented method for establishing multiple communication channels between a service provider and a consumer includes establishing a text based communication between the consumer and the service provider over the Internet. The method also includes receiving, at a central system, a first telephone number provided by the consumer via a first user interface and a second telephone number provided by the service provider via a second user interface. The method also includes calling, from the central system, the first telephone number and the second telephone number and bridging the calls between the central system and the first telephone number and the central system and the second telephone number to establish a communication channel between the service provider and the consumer. | 10-22-2009 |
20090313043 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - A request is received from a consumer of services 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; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider. | 12-17-2009 |
20090313076 | ARRANGING REMOTE ENGAGEMENTS - A request is received from a consumer for an electronic, real-time communication with a medical service provider; the availability of the medical service provider is assessed; if the medical service provider is not immediately available, a first scheduling option including waiting in queue and a second scheduling option including an appointment with the medical service provider are provided; a choice among the first scheduling option and the second scheduling option is received from the consumer; and the electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the medical service provider is arranged, based at least in part on the scheduling option chosen by the consumer. | 12-17-2009 |
20090319296 | Patient Directed Integration Of Remotely Stored Medical Information With A Brokerage System - A brokerage system that identifies a service provider satisfying at least some attributes in a set of patient defined attributes for providing a service is accessed. A request for records corresponding to the patient's health information to a data repository that stores the health records is sent. A graphical user interface that when rendered on a display displays the patient's health information is received. | 12-24-2009 |
20100094659 | Consolidation of Consumer Interactions within a Medical Brokerage System - In general in one aspect, agenda items are generated based on a consumer's one or more interactions with a system. The agenda items are consolidated into an agenda, a graphical user interface is produced that when rendered on a display displays the agenda, and a request from the consumer to interact with one or more of the agenda items is received. | 04-15-2010 |
20100222649 | REMOTE MEDICAL SERVICING - An engagement is brokered between a consumer and a medical service provider; a request from a patient to consult with a medical service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider is received in a server computer system; an available medical service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; a communication channel is provided to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the patient and the medical service provider; a measurement from a sensor configured to measure a physiological parameter of the patient is received over the communication channel. | 09-02-2010 |
20100281050 | Range Definition Method and System - A range-conversion method and system includes receiving data records. Each data record includes one or more data fields and a field value associated with each data field. One or more data fields are identified as a range-based data field. A plurality of text-based range descriptors are defined, such that each text-based range descriptor is associated with a range of field values for one of the range-based data fields. | 11-04-2010 |
20100293007 | Provider Decision Support - A computer-implemented method is described for retrieving, from a data repository that stores decision support information, decision support information pertinent to a consumer of services with whom a service provider is engaged in a real-time consultation; and generating by one or more computers based on the retrieved decision support information one or more decision support items to facilitate decisions of the service provider in rendering medical care to the consumer of services. | 11-18-2010 |
20100293487 | Provider-to-provider Consultations - Amongst other things, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving, by one or more computers, data indicating that a first service provider is authorized to engage in a consultation with a second service provider; and receiving, by one or more computers, a request from the first service provider to consult with the second service provider having a second service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider. | 11-18-2010 |
20100332261 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - 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. | 12-30-2010 |
20110004487 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - An animated representation of a consumer is enabled to interact with an animated representation of a point of service rendered in a user interface to select characteristics of a medical service provider; the selected characteristics of the medical service provider are received; an available medical service provider is identified based at least in part on the selected characteristics; and a communication channel is provided to establish an electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the identified medical service provider. | 01-06-2011 |
20110010197 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - A request to generate a medical service team for a particular consumer of medical services is received and records including names of one or more medical service providers associated with providing a medical service to the consumer of medical services are retrieved from a data repository. An electronic invitation to join the medical service team associated with providing medical services to the consumer of medical services is sent and responses to the invitation are received. A listing of medical service team members is generated from the responses and the records. | 01-13-2011 |
20110040569 | Tracking the Availability of Service Providers Across Multiple Platforms - 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. | 02-17-2011 |
20110106593 | Coupon Codes - A computer-implemented method includes receiving by one or more computer systems information corresponding to a coupon code to be applied to a consultation between a consumer of services and a service provider; verifying by the one or more computer systems a validity of the coupon code by determining that that one or more attributes of the consumer of services match one or more criteria associated with the coupon code; and applying the coupon code to a consultation fee associated with the consultation between the consumer of services and the service provider. | 05-05-2011 |
20110119079 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - A computer-implemented method includes receiving by a first mobile device an application that executes on the first mobile device associated with a consumer, the application including a plurality of graphical user interfaces, the graphical user interfaces having one or more fields that are populated with information received from a central, brokerage system; sending by the application executing on the first mobile device a request to consult with a service provider; populating one or more fields of the plurality of graphical user interfaces with information received from the central, brokerage system, to render a visual representation of present availability of one or more service providers; receiving by the application a selection of a particular service provider; and establishing through the brokerage system by the application a communication channel between the first mobile device and a second mobile device associated with a selected service provider. | 05-19-2011 |
20110137683 | Managing Utilization - A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer of medical services to engage with a provider of medical services in real time over the Internet using a computer-based brokerage system, accessing stored information related to past engagements of the consumer using the computer-based brokerage system, and determining allocation of a fee between the consumer and a third party for an engagement between the consumer and the provider based at least in part on the information related to the past engagements of the consumer. | 06-09-2011 |
20110137756 | Auctioning Provider Prices - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a computer-based system for connecting consumers with providers in real time over the Internet, requested compensation amounts from a plurality of providers. The method also includes displaying a price associated with consulting with a particular provider to a consumer on a user interface, the price being based at least in part on the requested compensation amount received from the provider. | 06-09-2011 |
20110184763 | Continuity of Medical Care - A consumer is provided with continuity of medical care by being prompted to transfer data to a recipient, upon completion of the consumer's interaction with a brokerage system. The data obtained during the interactions is transferred to one or more recipients selected by the consumer. | 07-28-2011 |
20110191119 | Documenting Remote Engagements - A service provider is prompted to provide a summary of an engagement with a consumer, an audible summary provided by the provider is recorded and, and the audible summary is associated with a record of the engagement. | 08-04-2011 |
20110196699 | Medical Listener - An engagement is brokered between a consumer and a medical service provider; electronic text of a real-time, text-based communication between the medical service provider and the consumer is monitored during the engagement; the electronic text is analyzed for a triggering event related to at least one of medical diagnosis and medical treatment; the triggering event is detected in the electronic text; and medical information is provided to the medical service provider via a user interface in response to the triggering event. | 08-11-2011 |
20110224998 | Online Care For Provider Practices - A computer-implemented method includes sending by one or more computers in response to a request a status indicator associated with a service provider that has a virtual waiting room generated by a computer system; receiving by the one or more computers a request to enter the virtual waiting room; accessing by the one or more computer systems an appointment schedule that indicates the service provider's appointments in a physically located office of the service provider; analyzing by the one or more computers the request and the appointment schedule; and causing the one or more computers to admit or deny entry to the virtual waiting room based at least in part on the analysis of the appointment schedule associated with the service provider and the status indicator. | 09-15-2011 |
20110246334 | Connecting Consumers with Providers - A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer to purchase consultation time from a service provider having specified attributes, the service providers associated with a private business; generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device depicts an image marking the graphical user interface with a indicia of the private business and one or more input elements for searching for the one or more service providers associated with the private business; determining by a computer system one or more service providers associated with the private label that are presently available to engage in a real-time consultation with the consumer; searching by the computer system a database of attributes for the one or more presently available service providers selling consultation time; and identifying a presently available service provider associated with at least some of attributes included in the request to purchase consultation time. | 10-06-2011 |
20120046969 | Converting Medical Data to a Data Format for Exportation from a Brokerage System - A computer-implemented method includes retrieving, by a computer included in a brokerage system for determining real-time availability of medical service providers for consultations with consumers of medical services, medical data records of a consumer requesting a consultation with one of the medical service providers, with the medical data records retrieved from an source external to the brokerage system and formatted in accordance with a first data format; converting by the computer the medical data records retrieved from the source external to the brokerage system from the first data format to a second, different data format for medical data records used in the brokerage system; and exporting, by the computer system, the medical data to a medical data system used by the one medical service provider. | 02-23-2012 |
20120116813 | Rule Management Method and System - A rule processing method includes defining a target group of patients chosen from a group of existing patients. An action to be taken concerning one or more patients within the target group of patients is defined, and an execution time for the action is scheduled. | 05-10-2012 |
20120284362 | Reverse Provider Practice - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by one or more computer systems, a request sent from a computing device used by a consumer, the request being to find a service provider; determining whether the consumer that sent the request is associated with a sponsor; when associated with a sponsor, retrieving, by the one or more computer systems, a listing of types of services offered by the sponsor; sending, by the one or more computer systems to the computing device, a list of one or more qualified service providers that are qualified to provide a type of service selected from the listing; receiving, by the one or more computer systems, a selection of a service provider from the list; and establishing a communication channel between the computing device used by the consumer and a computing device used by the selected service provider. | 11-08-2012 |
20120296667 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - 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. | 11-22-2012 |
20130018663 | Connecting Consumers with ProvidersAANM Schoenberg; RoyAACI BostonAAST MAAACO USAAGP Schoenberg; Roy Boston MA US - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a computing device used by a first service provider, a request for an available second service provider, with a device used by the first service provider having a first communication channel established with a device used by a consumer of services; determining one or more available second service providers; establishing, based on selection of an available second service provider, a second communication channel between a device used by the selected second service provider and the device used by the first service provider; receiving, from the device used by the first service provider, a request to bridge the first communication channel and the second communication channel; and bridging the first communication channel and the second communication channel. | 01-17-2013 |
20130024365 | Fee-Based Communications - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a computer system, a service request; identifying by the computer system a type of the service request; retrieving, by the computer system, a mapping specifying one or more fee amounts to be charged for a plurality of types of service requests and one or more types of service providers qualified to respond to the plurality of types of service requests; retrieving, based the identified type of service request and the mapping, a fee amount for the service request and a type of service provider qualified to respond to the service request; and processing payment information for the determined fee amount. | 01-24-2013 |
20130030843 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers - A request is received from a consumer of services 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; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider. | 01-31-2013 |
20130030855 | Collective Tracking of Availability Information - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by one or more computers, a request for aggregation of availability status information for provider practices; retrieving, by the one or more computers, the availability status information for service providers for which the request was received; collectively tracking the retrieved availability status information; and generating, by the one or more computers, a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders: a visual representation of the collectively tracked availability status information arranged by provider practice. | 01-31-2013 |
20130035953 | Provider Supply & Consumer Demand Management - Amongst other things, one or more requests is received from at least one consumer of services to consult with a service provider associated with a brokerage system and having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes. The consumer demand is measured for consultations with one or more service providers associated with the brokerage system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. A supply of active service providers associated with the system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes is also measured. It is determined whether an imbalance exists between the consumer demand for and the supply of active service providers having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. | 02-07-2013 |
20130036153 | Mobile Applications to Interface to a Brokerage System - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a first application running on a computing device, a request for a real-time communication with a service provider; retrieving, from a second application running on the same computing device, a geographical location of the computing device; sending, to a brokerage system, the request for the real time consultation with the geographical information; and receiving, from the brokerage system, information specifying one or more available service providers in the geographical location. | 02-07-2013 |
20130046550 | Tracking Status of Service Providers Across Plural Provider Practices - A computer-implemented method includes identifying, by one or more computers, information pertaining to provider practices that a service provided is enrolled in, including status information of the service provider in the provider practices and information specifying consumers waiting for the service provider in waiting rooms of the provider practices; and generating, by the one or more computers, a graphical user interface for display of the information pertaining to the provider practices, and with the graphical user interface when rendered on a display device rendering, for a provider practice: a visual representation of status information of the service provider in the provider practice; and a visual representation of information specifying consumers waiting for the service provider in a waiting room of the provider practice. | 02-21-2013 |
20130054288 | ARRANGING REMOTE ENGAGEMENTS - A request is received from a consumer for an electronic, real-time communication with a medical service provider; the availability of the medical service provider is assessed; if the medical service provider is not immediately available, a first scheduling option including waiting in queue and a second scheduling option including an appointment with the medical service provider are provided; a choice among the first scheduling option and the second scheduling option is received from the consumer; and the electronic, real-time communication between the consumer and the medical service provider is arranged, based at least in part on the scheduling option chosen by the consumer. | 02-28-2013 |
20130275146 | CONNECTING CONSUMERS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS - A request to generate a medical service team for a particular consumer of medical services is received and records including names of one or more medical service providers associated with providing a medical service to the consumer of medical services are retrieved from a data repository. An electronic invitation to join the medical service team associated with providing medical services to the consumer of medical services is sent and responses to the invitation are received. A listing of medical service team members is generated from the responses and the records. | 10-17-2013 |
20130317838 | MEDICAL LISTENER - An engagement is brokered between a consumer and a medical service provider; electronic text of a real-time, text-based communication between the medical service provider and the consumer is monitored during the engagement; the electronic text is analyzed for a triggering event related to at least one of medical diagnosis and medical treatment; the triggering event is detected in the electronic text; and medical information is provided to the medical service provider via a user interface in response to the triggering event. | 11-28-2013 |
20130317842 | Identifying Trusted Providers - 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. | 11-28-2013 |
20130317843 | DOCUMENTING REMOTE ENGAGEMENTS - A service provider is prompted to provide a summary of an engagement with a consumer, an audible summary provided by the provider is recorded and, and the audible summary is associated with a record of the engagement. | 11-28-2013 |
20130325500 | Identification of Health Risks and Suggested Treatment Actions - Using a brokerage system, a consumer of services is matched with a service provider and a comprehensive health management plan is generated for the consumer during the consumer's interaction with the brokerage system. The brokerage system uses a rules engine to identify one or more conditions of the consumer's health and generate one or more follow-up actions based at least in part on the consumer's identified health condition. The consumer is notified of at least one of the identified conditions and the generated follow-up actions. | 12-05-2013 |
20130339058 | Medical Information Event Manager - An event management system and method detects the occurrence of events as a function, at least in part, of information and data gathered from monitoring one or more patients with a medical information system. Event detection processes can be defined and then triggered to cover any of a variety of circumstances. For instance, event detection processes can be defined that, when triggered, indicate that a certain patient (or patients) would make a suitable candidate for that clinical trial, a patient is a candidate for a certain type of treatment, or hospital resources are being utilized in a certain manner. That is, such events may relate to the efficiency or inefficiency in use of certain resources, or such events may concern usage under certain circumstances. | 12-19-2013 |
20140006058 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers | 01-02-2014 |
20140108022 | Brokerage System Employing Minimal Criteria Matching and Availability Queuing - Techniques are disclosed for connecting consumers of services with providers of services. The techniques include receiving from a device used by a consumer a request to engage in a consultation with a service provider, retrieving current availability information for a plurality of service providers that indicate the service providers' current availability to engage a consumer, analyzing by the one or more computers the current availability of the service providers and causing the one or more computers to select one of the service providers that according to the analysis has the least number of consumers currently in that service provider's virtual waiting room. | 04-17-2014 |
20140140489 | Telephonic-Based Engagements - Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers and service providers based on telephonic call-back engagements. The techniques include receiving a telephonic-based communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider and determining a suitable service provider to reply to the telephonic-based communication from the consumer. The techniques add an entry corresponding to the consumer to a queue maintained for the suitable service provider, and when the consumer in the queue is at the top of the queue, initiate a call-back to a device used by the consumer. | 05-22-2014 |
20140200910 | MODALITIES FOR BROKERED ENGAGEMENTS - Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers with service providers according to a user selected modality type including an anonymous user modality type. | 07-17-2014 |
20140200911 | Next Consumer Processing for Brokered Engagements - Described are techniques for providing broker services between consumers and service providers. A system receives requests from consumers to consult with a service provider and provides a control that when rendered on at least one graphical user interface that the service provider accesses causes the system to determine a next consumer to engage with the service provider, with the next consumer determining based on executing a priority algorithm for selecting a next consumer from the queue for the service provider when that service provider becomes currently available to engage in a real-time consultation with consumers. | 07-17-2014 |
20140201649 | Availability Management Processing for Brokered Engagements - Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers and service providers. A system sends a graphical user interface to allow a service provider to set that service provider's availability to engage in a real-time consultation with a consumer across provider networks that the service provided is associated with and corresponding provider practices within the provider network. | 07-17-2014 |
20140201665 | Quick-Connection for Brokered Engagements - Described are techniques for accessing a brokerage system for providing broker services to consumers from various service providers. A graphical user interface renders a plurality of controls that when selected by a consumer, sends a request to consult with a service provider of a type associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of controls. Upon receiving the request a second graphical user interface is sent to enable the user to provide information to a service provider for use during a consultation with a service provider of the type associated with the corresponding one of the controls. | 07-17-2014 |
20140207488 | Medical Information Query System - A query system is provided for retrieving information from a medical information system, or its databases. A user interactive query wizard facilitates creation of query scripts for retrieval of information from the medical information system. Queries may be performed across a set of patients, hospitals or clinical resources. Query results are presented via an output device, such as a computer display. These results may be exported to other applications, such as known office or desktop applications, or other systems, such as database systems. | 07-24-2014 |
20140244305 | PATIENT DIRECTED INTEGRATION OF REMOTELY STORED MEDICAL INFORMATION WITH A BROKERAGE SYSTEM - A brokerage system that identifies a service provider satisfying at least some attributes in a set of patient defined attributes for providing a service is accessed. A request for records corresponding to the patient's health information to a data repository that stores the health records is sent. A graphical user interface that when rendered on a display displays the patient's health information is received. | 08-28-2014 |
20140257830 | VERIFICATION PROCESSING FOR BROKERED ENGAGEMENTS - Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers and service providers. The techniques include verification of consumer eligibility to consult with a service provider and techniques for determining a consumer's level of access and co-pays. | 09-11-2014 |
20140258037 | Transparency in Processing of Wait Times for Brokered Engagements - Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers and service providers. An estimate of when a service provider will be available to the consumer is calculated based on determining entries in a queue maintained for the service provider, the entries corresponding to consumers waiting for the service provider. An entry corresponding to the consumer is added to the queue maintained for the service provider, and the estimate is sent to a device used by the consumer; and when the consumer in the queue is at the top of the queue a real-time communication channel is established with a device used by the consumer. | 09-11-2014 |
20140278450 | Searching for Service Providers based on Consumer Symptoms - A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request to consult with a medical service provider; accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation and qualifications of the medical service providers; determining which of the medical service providers are presently available; identifying from the qualifications of the presently available medical service providers and the one or more terms included in the request, one or more medical service providers appropriate to consult with the consumer; transmitting information indicative of the identified one or more medical service providers appropriate to consult with the consumer regarding the consumer's one or more symptoms; receiving a selection of one of the identified one or more medical service providers; and establishing a communication channel between the device used by the consumer and a device used by the selected medical service provider. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278451 | Integration of Diagnostic Devices into a Brokerage System - An apparatus comprises a diagnostic device configured to be operated by a first medical service provider to collect diagnostic data indicative of a physiological condition of a patient; and a processing device configured for communication with the diagnostic device and a brokerage system during a real-time consultation between the patient and a second medical service provider, over a real-time communication channel established by the brokerage system, with the processing device being further configured to cause the diagnostic data to be transmitted to a device used by the service provider during the real-time consultation to promote diagnosis of the physiological condition of the patient. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278669 | Coordination of Brokered Engagements - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a brokerage system, a request for a virtual consultation with a service provider, with the requested consultation being one or more of an online consultation or a telephonic consultation; accessing, by a practice management system, a schedule indicative of one or more office appointments of the requested service provider, with the practice management system being remote from the brokerage system; determining, by the practice management system based on the accessed schedule, a time slot in which the requested service provider is available for the requested virtual consultation; and updating, by the practice management system, the schedule with an appointment for the virtual consultation to occur during the determined time slot. | 09-18-2014 |
20140279227 | Connecting Consumers with Service Providers Independent of Consumer Search - A computer-implemented method includes receiving an indication of a request to access to a webpage that identifies service providers who are available for consultations; identifying, by one or more computers, in response to the request one or more available service providers; generating, by the one or more computers, a web page that when displayed on a display device, renders: visual representations corresponding to the identified service providers; and selectable portions of the visual representations through which the consumer selects a service provider from the identified service providers; and receiving data indicating the consumer's selection of the service provider; and establishing a communication channel between a device used by the selected service provider and the device used by the consumer. | 09-18-2014 |
20140280980 | Connecting Consumers with Providers - A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a computing device used by a first service provider, a request to transfer a communication connection established between a device used by a consumer of services and the device used by the first service provider, with the transfer request directed to an available second, service provider; determining, by a brokerage system, one or more available second service providers; establishing, by the brokerage system based on a selected second service provider, a second communication channel with a device used by the selected second service provider; and causing, by the brokerage system, a disconnection of the first communication channel and a transfer of the connection of the first communication channel from the first communication channel to the second communication channel. | 09-18-2014 |
20140288959 | PROVIDER SUPPLY & CONSUMER DEMAND MANAGEMENT - Amongst other things, one or more requests is received from at least one consumer of services to consult with a service provider associated with a brokerage system and having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes. The consumer demand is measured for consultations with one or more service providers associated with the brokerage system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. A supply of active service providers associated with the system and having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes is also measured. It is determined whether an imbalance exists between the consumer demand for and the supply of active service providers having service provider profiles that satisfy at least some attributes in the set of attributes. | 09-25-2014 |