U.S. patent application number 13/022604 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for system and method for peer referencing in an online computer system.
Invention is credited to Matthew J. Haddad, Qin Ye.
Application Number | 20110196695 13/022604 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44354405 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110196695 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ye; Qin ; et al. |
August 11, 2011 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PEER REFERENCING IN AN ONLINE COMPUTER
SYSTEM
Abstract
A system and method for connecting healthcare providers via an
online portal to allow the providers to generate a network of peers
for facilitating the providing and obtaining of peer references. A
rules engine applies rules and logic to aggregated credentials and
relationship data of the registered providers to identify users of
the system who are qualified to provide a peer referral for a
particular provider. A peer in a provider's network may provide a
peer reference needed by the provider to access certain medical
privileges. The peer reference data may be provided as answers to a
structured questionnaire. The answers may then be used to
automatically populate a specific peer referral form.
Inventors: |
Ye; Qin; (Castaic, CA)
; Haddad; Matthew J.; (Marina del Rey, CA) |
Family ID: |
44354405 |
Appl. No.: |
13/022604 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61302050 |
Feb 5, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/08 20130101;
G16H 70/00 20180101; G06Q 10/10 20130101; G06Q 30/01 20130101; G16H
10/60 20180101; H04L 63/08 20130101; G06F 16/22 20190101; G06F
16/2322 20190101; G06Q 10/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/2 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 50/00 20060101
G06Q050/00 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for generating a network of peers
for obtaining peer references, the method comprising: receiving
profile information for a particular healthcare provider; storing
the profile information in a data storage device; automatically
identifying, by a computer device, one or more other healthcare
providers who are qualified to provide a peer referral for the
particular healthcare provider, wherein the automatically
identifying includes automatically comparing, by the computer
device, the profile information of the particular healthcare
provider with profile information of other healthcare providers in
the data storage device for determining whether one or more
qualification criteria have been satisfied; and including the
identified healthcare providers in a peer network for the
particular healthcare provider for transmitting a request for peer
referral to one or more of the identified healthcare providers.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting an
invitation to the identified healthcare providers to join the peer
network for the particular healthcare provider.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for peer referral
includes a link to a peer referral input form.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising: receiving peer
referral information entered in the peer referral input form; and
storing the peer referral information in the data storage
device.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein fields of the peer referral input
form are mapped to objects of a common object model, and the
storing the peer referral information includes populating the
objects of the common object model with the peer referral
information.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising: identifying a peer
referral form; automatically populating fields of the peer referral
form based on the peer referral information stored in the common
object model.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: maintaining a list of
the identified healthcare providers; and updating the list in
response to a monitored event.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitored event is change of
profile information of the particular healthcare provider or the
other healthcare providers.
9. A data processing apparatus adapted for generating a network of
peers for obtaining peer references, comprising: a data storage
device; a processor; and a memory operably coupled to the processor
and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being
operable to execute the program instructions, the program
instructions including: receiving profile information for a
particular healthcare provider; storing the profile information in
the data storage device; automatically identifying one or more
other healthcare providers who are qualified to provide a peer
referral for the particular healthcare provider, wherein the
automatically identifying includes automatically comparing the
profile information of the particular healthcare provider with
profile information of other healthcare providers in the data
storage device for determining whether one or more qualification
criteria have been satisfied; and including the identified
healthcare providers in a peer network for the particular
healthcare provider for transmitting a request for peer referral to
one or more of the identified healthcare providers.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the program instructions
further include: transmitting an invitation to the identified
healthcare providers to join the peer network for the particular
healthcare provider.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the request for peer referral
includes a link to a peer referral input form.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program instructions
further include: receiving peer referral information entered in the
peer referral input form; and storing the peer referral information
in the data storage device.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein fields of the peer referral
input form are mapped to objects of a common object model, and the
program instructions for storing the peer referral information
includes program instructions for populating the objects of the
common object model with the peer referral information.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program instructions
further include: identifying a peer referral form; and
automatically populating fields of the peer referral form based on
the peer referral information stored in the common object
model.
15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the program instructions
further include: maintaining a list of the identified healthcare
providers; and updating the list in response to a monitored
event.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the monitored event is
change of profile information of the particular healthcare provider
or the other healthcare providers.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/302,050, filed Feb. 5, 2010, the content of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is also related to U.S. application Ser.
No. 13/022,550 (attorney docket M887:66826), filed on even date
herewith, and to U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,682, the content of both of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention generally relates to an online
computer system that allows healthcare providers to connect via an
online portal, and more particularly, to a peer network portal that
allows healthcare providers to generate a network of peers for
facilitating the obtaining of peer references.
BACKGROUND
[0004] One problem in the current healthcare industry is the
ability of a provider to readily find other providers who are
qualified to provide peer references. When a healthcare
organization appoints an individual to the medical staff or grants
initial clinical privileges, the common regulation from the Joint
Commission requires that all information about the applicant be
available and verified before any action can be taken. Among
others, peer references are part of the more critical information
to be requested and verified.
[0005] Healthcare peer referencing differs from typical reference
checking in other industries. Peer references are reviewed
according to very rigorous standards, and thus, not all providers
are qualified to provide references. For example, the joint
commission generally requires hospitals to follow these standards
for acceptable peer references: an applicant's peers need to
provide specific information on medical responsibilities,
character, training, competence, and health status as they affect
performance. The scope of peer references varies depending on the
type of provider and level of clinical privileges to be granted.
Many organizations provide the peer with a privileging list that is
used to grant an applicant's privileges. Peers are asked to comment
on the applicant's ability to perform the tasks listed on the
privileging list. One of the goals of this strict process is to
keep the reference less subjective and biased.
[0006] A peer is typically defined as someone from the same
discipline with essentially equal qualifications. In order to be
able to provide a reference, the peer must generally be familiar
with the individual's actual performance in that discipline. For
instance, in an allied health provider credentialing process, a
nurse practitioner, physician assistant, psychologist, or social
worker ideally should have another individual from the same
discipline to be the peer, and the organization should attempt to
obtain such references. This could be someone within the same
organization or someone from outside the organization.
[0007] In situations where there is no nurse practitioner,
physician's assistant, psychologist, or social worker who can
provide a peer reference, it is generally acceptable for a
physician or D.O. with essentially equal qualifications, who is
familiar with the allied health practitioner's performance, to
provide the reference. For example, an internist could provide a
reference for a physician assistant; an anesthesiologist could
provide a reference for a nurse anesthetist; a psychiatrist could
provide a reference for a psychologist; and a psychologist with
similar responsibilities could provide a reference for a social
worker.
[0008] Due to these complicated rules and criteria, as well as the
current state of manual process for contacting and collecting peer
references, many organizations are spending vast amount of time and
resources to meet regulatory standards before clinical privileges
can be granted.
[0009] In recent years, Internet, email and electronic messaging
technologies have been widely adopted to transmit information among
users. Social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have
connected hundreds of millions people to share common interests and
activities. However, nothing has been done to address specific
nature and needs of peer referencing in the provider credentialing
field. Thus, there is a need for an electronic system that receives
an maintains information about peer providers so that those
providers can be readily identified based on qualifying criteria,
and so that communication with the qualifying peer providers can be
easily facilitated. There is also a need for a qualifying peer
provider to efficiently provide a peer reference upon request.
SUMMARY
[0010] According to one embodiment, the present invention is
directed to a computer apparatus and a method for generating a
network of peers for obtaining peer references. The computer
apparatus includes a data storage device, a processor, and a memory
that is operably coupled to the processor and that stores program
instructions therein. The processor is operable to execute the
program instructions. The program instructions include receiving
profile information for a particular healthcare provider, storing
the profile information in the data storage device, and
automatically identifying one or more other healthcare providers
who are qualified to provide a peer referral for the particular
healthcare provider. The automatically identifying of the other
healthcare providers includes automatically comparing the profile
information of the particular healthcare provider with profile
information of other healthcare providers in the data storage
device for determining whether one or more qualification criteria
have been satisfied. The program instructions further entail
including the identified healthcare providers in a peer network for
the particular healthcare provider for transmitting a request for
peer referral to one or more of the identified healthcare
providers.
[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the program
instructions further include transmitting an invitation to the
identified healthcare providers to join the peer network for the
particular healthcare provider.
[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the request
for peer referral includes a link to a peer referral input
form.
[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the program
instructions further include receiving peer referral information
entered in the peer referral input form; and storing the peer
referral information in the data storage device. Fields of the peer
referral input form may be mapped to objects of a common object
model. In that case, the program instructions for storing the peer
referral information includes program instructions for populating
the objects of the common object model with the peer referral
information.
[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the program
instructions further include identifying a peer referral form; and
automatically populating fields of the peer referral form based on
the peer referral information stored in the common object
model.
[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the program
instructions further include maintaining a list of the identified
healthcare providers; and updating the list in response to a
monitored event.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the monitored
event is change of profile information of the particular healthcare
provider or the other healthcare providers.
[0017] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will be more fully understood when considered
with respect to the following detailed description, appended
claims, and accompanying drawings. Of course, the actual scope of
the invention is defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for peer
referencing according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of a process for building a
peer network for a particular user according to one embodiment of
the invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen for searching
for peers to invite for joining a user's peer network according to
one embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 4 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen listing peers
that are available for inviting into a user's peer network
according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of an invitation message
for inviting peers to join a user's network according to one
embodiment of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a virtual peer
identification decision tree according to one embodiment of the
invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for obtaining a peer
reference from a qualified peer according to one embodiment of the
invention;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a more detailed process flow diagram of a step for
generating a form with automatically populated peer reference data
according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0026] FIG. 9 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen displaying a
universal peer reference form according to one embodiment of the
invention; and
[0027] FIG. 10 is an exemplary screen shot of a references page
listing various peers for whom peer references have been received
according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] During the process of applying to practice in or be
affiliated with an institution, such as, for example, a healthcare
institution, practitioners are often asked to provide qualified
peer references as part of the application. In the healthcare
field, a peer generally refers to a healthcare professional
practicing in the same area of specialization as the provider.
[0029] Peer references are also often required when a healthcare
organization appoints an individual to the medical staff or grants
initial clinical privileges to the individual. The process of
identifying peers that meet all regulatory and compliance standards
as well as reaching out to these peers to verify detailed
information is very cumbersome and time consuming. Strict processes
and regulations also generally need to be met for the selection of
peers that are qualified to provide healthcare peer references that
may be accepted as valid. Prior art systems do not provide a
mechanism for one provider to take advantage of loosely constructed
social networks to automate the peer referencing process in a
manner that satisfies those strict processes and regulations.
However, if an individual can register with an online system, for
example, by providing professional and personal data, and/or other
selected criteria common to a significant numbers of the users, the
user can be linked to a plurality of other such individuals who may
be qualified to provide online peer references.
[0030] In general terms, embodiments of the present invention are
directed to a system and method for connecting healthcare providers
via an online portal to allow the providers to generate a network
of peers for facilitating the providing and obtaining of peer
references. The online portal provides a user interface, such as,
for example, a graphical user interface (GUI), that displays and
allows searching of peers who are qualified to provide peer
references, and facilitates interaction among such peers. The user
interface also facilitates the obtaining of training, work history,
specialty and other credentials data for use in determining, for
example, qualification of the users for providing peer reference to
other users.
[0031] A rules engine applies rules and logic to aggregated
credentials and relationship data of the registered providers to
identify users of the system who are qualified to provide a peer
referral for a particular provider. A peer in a provider's network
may provide a peer reference needed by the provider to access
certain medical privileges. The peer reference data may be provided
as answers to a structured questionnaire. The answers may then be
used to automatically populate a specific peer referral form.
[0032] According to one embodiment, the system includes a database
for storing the credentials and relationship data of the healthcare
providers of the system. According to one embodiment, the rules
engine aggregates and maps the data to create a virtual
professional relationship network with clear structure of qualified
versus unqualified peers. For example, a qualified peer for a
particular provider may be defined as someone who knew the provider
in the last three to five years in a professional setting, and such
a relationship may be depicted in the provider's relationship
network.
[0033] According to one embodiment, users may invite peers to join
the system and become a peer to the inviting user. Invitations may
be sent, for example, by e-mail, fax, or any other electronic
communications medium conventional in the art. The invited peer may
accept the invitation, in which case he or she becomes a user of
the system as a peer of the inviting user. The new user is then
prompted to provide credential data, relationship data, and other
types of data for determining his or her qualifications for
providing a peer reference.
[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, peers in the
system further have the ability to provide information about one
another regarding professional qualifications, competencies, and
the like. In order for a peer to provide a reference for another
provider, for example, the pre-qualified peer might fill-in a
structured questionnaire about the provider's clinical competency
and the like.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for peer
referencing according to one embodiment of the invention. The
system includes one or more remote healthcare provider devices
102a-102n, healthcare entity devices 104, and information sources
106 (collectively referred to as remote devices), coupled to one or
more servers 100 over a data communications network 110. The
communication network 110 may be a network or combination of
networks spanning any geographical area, such as a local area
network, wide area network, regional network, national network,
and/or global network. The Internet is an example of a current
global computer network. In addition, the communication network may
be a hardwire network, wireless network, or a combination of
hardwire and wireless networks.
[0036] Hardwire networks may include, for example, fiber optic
lines, cable lines, ISDN lines, copper lines, and the like.
Wireless networks may include, for example, cellular systems,
personal communications service (PCS) systems, satellite
communication systems, packet radio systems, and mobile broadband
systems. A cellular system may use, for example, code division
multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA),
personal digital phone (PDC), Global System Mobile (GSM), or
frequency division multiple access (FDMA), among others.
[0037] Each of the remote devices may be any processor controlled
device that permits access to the communication network 110,
including terminal devices, such as personal computers,
workstations, servers, clients, mini-computers, main-frame
computers, laptop computers, a network of individual computers,
mobile computers, palm-top computers, hand-held computers, set top
boxes for a television, other types of web enabled televisions,
interactive kiosks, personal digital assistants, interactive or web
enabled wireless communications devices, mobile web browsers, or a
combination thereof.
[0038] In this regard, the remote devices include a processor,
memory, and one or more input devices such as a keyboard, mouse,
touch pad, joystick, pen input pad, and the like. The remote
devices may also include an output device, such as a display screen
and audio output. The memory included in each remote device stores
computer program instructions which, when executed by the
processor, causes the processor to perform certain actions mandated
by the computer program instructions. Such computer program
instructions may also be stored in a disk, CD, flash drive, or
other non-transient computer readable media.
[0039] The server 100 is a data processing apparatus with one or
more processors and memory storing computer program instructions
for adapting the computer to generate a network of peers for
obtaining peer references. The server 100 may be similar to the
server described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,682.
The server 100 may be hosted by a particular healthcare entity such
as, for example, an insurance company, hospital, surgical center,
or the like. According to one embodiment, the server may be
configured to provide the electronic credentials verification and
management functionalities described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,682.
The server 100 may also be configured to map various healthcare
administrative forms, referral forms, and the like, to a common
object model, and automatically populate those forms based on data
provided by a qualified peer, healthcare provider, or other
information source, as is described in the above-referenced U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/022,550.
[0040] According to one embodiment of the invention, the server 100
is accessed by users who register with the server and who can then
connect with other users to form a network of peers. The server is
configured to automatically determine whether a peer in the user's
network, or another user who has not yet been identified as a peer
for a particular user, is qualified to provide a peer reference for
the user. The server may then be configured to transmit a request
to provide a peer reference for the particular user upon command by
the user.
[0041] In this regard, the server 100 includes a rules engine 100a,
online portal 100b, and a forms engine 100c. According to one
embodiment, the online portal 100b provides a graphical user
interface for registering with the server, building a peer network,
submitting forms to various healthcare entities, requesting peer
references from qualified peers, and the like. The rules engine
100a is configured to apply rules and logic to aggregated
credentials and relationship data of the registered healthcare
providers to create a virtual professional relationship network for
each provider. The forms engine 100c generates forms with fields
automatically populated based on data associated with a particular
provider for submitting to the provider, different healthcare
entities, and the like. For example, the forms engine 100c may be
invoked to automatically populate a peer referral form for an
individual based on information provided by a peer referral source
for then submitting to a requesting healthcare entity. According to
one embodiment, the forms engine may include a mapping engine for
mapping fields of different referral forms to a common object
model, and a runtime engine for automatically populating fields of
the referral forms based on data stored in the common object model.
The mapping and runtime engines are discussed in further detail in
the above-referenced U.S. application Ser. No. 13/022,550.
[0042] The engines 100a, 110c and portal 100b may be implemented as
software modules that are executed by a processor in the server
based on computer program instructions stored in memory. Each of
the engines and portal may implemented as a separate software
module, or one or more of the engines or portal may be combined
into a single module or further divided into one more sub-modules
as may be appreciated by a person of skill in the art. A person of
skill in the art should recognize that the modules may also be
implemented in hardware, firmware (e.g. ASIC), or a combination of
hardware, firmware, and/or software.
[0043] According to one embodiment of the invention, a user device
112 may be coupled to the server 100 via a communications link 114.
The user device 112 may be similar to any of the remote devices
described above. The communications link 114 may be a direct wire,
an infrared data port, a wireless communications link, global
communications link such as the Internet, or any other
communications medium known in the art. The user device 112 allows
an administrator to access the server 100 for performing management
functions such as, for example, updating rules accessed by the
rules engine 100a, updating forms accessed by the forms engine
100c, and/or performing other administrative and maintenance
tasks.
[0044] The data storage device 108 may be any hard disk drive or
drive array which hosts a number of purpose-built databases and
files useful for implementation of the system 10. For example, the
data storage device may take the form of a hard disk or disk array,
storing a provider's profile, work history, credentialing
information, networking database with information on the provider's
peer network, healthcare forms, peer referral forms and
questionnaires, healthcare and information of other entities
associated with the system. Any electronic healthcare form may be
mapped and stored in the data storage device.
[0045] According to one embodiment, the data storage device 108
hosts a networking database with relationship information for the
registered users of the system. In this regard, each provider
provides his or her professional background and credentialing
information via the online portal 100b, and the information is used
to construct a comprehensive database of providers as well as
update the networking database with relationship information. The
information and defined relationships in the networking database
can then be utilized by users and systems to guide the selection of
peers and the acceptance of qualified references.
[0046] According to one embodiment of the invention, each provider
accesses the online portal 100b to register with the server 100. In
this regard, the provider is prompted to provide information on his
professional background, work history, credentials, and the like,
all of which is then stored in one or more databases of the data
storage device 108, such as for example, a credentials database
and/or networking database. According to one embodiment of the
invention, the information is provided by the user by filling out a
universal online form provided by the online portal 100b. The
information is then used to populate a common object model as
described in the above-referenced U.S. application Ser. No.
13/022,550. The provider may also access the online portal 100b to
create and maintain his profile and credentialing data for
verification, forms generation, and the like. The server may query
one or more information sources 106 to verify the information
provided by the user, as is further described in the
above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,682.
[0047] Once registered with the server 100, but before or after
having provided all of the provider's background or credentials
information, each provider may access the online portal 100b to
build his or her peer network of providers. According to one
embodiment, the peer network includes a list of users who are
enrolled/registered with the server 100, whom have been deemed to
be qualified to provide peer references for the provider, and with
whom connections have been formed for viewing and exchanging
information that may not be available to users who are outside of
the provider's peer network.
[0048] In building a peer network, the provider accesses the
networking database via the online portal 100b to find, invite and
connect to other providers. For example, the provider may search
for other providers enrolled/registered with the server 100, and
view the public profiles of such providers for determining whether
to add them to his or her network. Qualified peers may also be
recommended to the provider based on information in the networking
database. The online portal 100b may include a messaging engine
which may be invoked by the user to send invitations to other
providers to join his/her network.
[0049] According to one embodiment of the invention, a peer in a
provider's network may provide a peer reference needed by the
provider to access certain medical privileges or to qualify to
perform certain medical procedures. Due to the rigorous criteria
that need to be met in order for a peer reference to be acceptable,
it is desirable to identify those peers in the network that meet
those standards prior to requesting a peer reference from them. For
example, a peer may be deemed to be qualified to provide a peer
reference to a provider for a particular privilege if the peer is
in the same specialty as the provider, has worked in the same
facility, shares the same privilege, and can comment on the skills
of the practitioner. Additional or other criteria may also be
considered by the rules engine 100a in determining whether a peer
in an individual's peer network is qualified for providing a peer
referral.
[0050] In this regard, the rules engine 100a accesses the network
database to access information on peers in the individual's peer
network. According to one embodiment of the invention, the rules
engine automatically processes the information of peers in the peer
network against one or more rules for automatically identifying
qualifying peers for peer referencing. The server then transmits
requests for peer referencing to the identified peers over the data
communications network. In response to the request, the identified
peers may submit a peer reference in a paper-based or electronic
format. According to one embodiment, the server may access the
forms engine 100c to retrieve and transmit dynamic peer reference
questionnaires and/or forms that tailor to each type of provider
and privilege being pursued. As networked users grow in size
exponentially, identifying qualified peers and requesting them to
go through structured peer referencing questionnaires to meet
specific peer referencing standards may be substantially more
straight forward than compared to existing processes.
[0051] According to one embodiment of the invention, the peer
providing the reference or the provider requesting the reference
may access the online portal 100b and select an online reference
form to be automatically populate based on responses to
questionnaire questions by the peer reference. The generating and
populating of the fields of the form may be carried out as is
discussed in the above-referenced U.S. application Ser. No.
13/022,550. The auto-populated form may then be downloaded to the
peer, the provider, and/or submitted directly to a healthcare
entity requesting the peer reference.
[0052] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rules
engine 100a may also be invoked to identify users who are enrolled
in the system who would qualify to provide a peer reference to a
particular individual, but who are not yet part of the individual's
peer network. Once identified, the rules engine 100a may suggest
that the individual be added to the individual's peer network. The
individual may act upon the suggestion and send an invitation to
the identified users to join his or her peer network, before
requesting a peer referral from those users.
[0053] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of a process for building a
peer network for a particular user according to one embodiment of
the invention. The process may be described in terms of a software
routine executed by the processor in the server 100 based on
instructions stored in the server's memory. The instructions may
also be stored in other non-transient computer readable media such
as, for example, a disk, CD, flash drive, or the like. A person of
skill in the art should also recognize that the routine may be
executed via hardware, firmware (e.g. via an ASIC), or in any
combination of software, firmware, and/or hardware. Furthermore,
the sequence of steps of the process is not fixed, but can be
altered into any desired sequence as recognized by a person of
skill in the art.
[0054] The process starts, and in step 200, the user accesses the
online portal 100b to provide or update his information, such as,
for example, his background and credentials information. In this
regard, the user may navigate to an application page provided by
the online portal and enter the information prompted by the page.
If the information is to be updated, the user may retrieve his or
her user record for display instead of the application page.
[0055] According to one embodiment of the invention, the online
application is a universal application which is mapped to a common
object model. As the user provides his or her information, the data
may be used to populate the objects of the common object model.
[0056] In step 202, the online portal 100b builds or updates a user
profile for the inputting user. In this regard, the online portal
100b generates or updates a user record with credentials and
relationship data for storing in a credentials database of the data
storage device.
[0057] In step 204, the rules engine 100a is invoked for employing
a set of rules and logic for constructing or updating the user's
virtual professional network. In this regard, the rules engine 100a
may traverse a virtual peer identification decision tree to
identify the relationship of the user with other users of the
system, and determine whether a qualification criteria has been
satisfied. As a result of traversing the decision tree, the rules
engine 100a identifies a user being evaluated as a qualified peer
or not. According alternative embodiments, the rules engine 100a
may be configured to assign a score to each other user reflecting
the extent of the qualifications of the peer to provide peer
referencing.
[0058] In step 206, the rules engine 100a constructs the virtual
professional network based upon evaluation of the various
registered users of the system and their relationship to the
particular user. The virtual professional network may be as simple
as a list of the users of the system who have been identified as
qualified peers, and an association of that list to the particular
user. Such information may be maintained in the relationship
database. The virtual professional network may also be depicted
visually as a network graph showing connections between the
particular user and all other users who are deemed to be qualified
peers to the particular user. As a person of skill in the art will
appreciate, the virtual professional network is dynamic and
constantly evolving as other users enroll with the server and as
information on the users are updated. The update of the virtual
professional network may require execution of steps 204 and 206
from time to time (e.g. based on a pre-defined schedule or on a
random basis), or in response to particular monitored events, such
as, for example an update to a criteria being monitored in any
user's profile, in response to a user command to display an updated
list of qualified peers, a change of rules for determining
qualifications of a peer, or the like. The update may include
adding or deleting users to the virtual professional network. For
example, a user deemed to be a qualified peer for providing a peer
recommendation at one point in time may be deleted as such at some
other point in time.
[0059] In step 208, the online portal 100b identifies a recommended
peer list based on the user's virtual professional network, and
displays the list via a graphical user interface. According to one
embodiment, the display of the recommended peer list is pushed to
the user without the user manually requesting the recommendations.
The user may also make a manual request for qualified peers
whenever a peer referral is needed.
[0060] In step 210, the online portal 100b receives a selection of
a recommended peer, and in step 212, transmits an invitation to the
selected peer for joining the user's peer network. A determination
is made in step 214 as to whether the peer has accepted the
invitation. If the answer is YES, the online portal adds the peer
to the user's peer network in step 216. In this regard, the user's
profile may be updated to include information on the accepting peer
as being a member of the user's peer network. Information on the
user's peer network may also be maintained separately in the
network database.
[0061] FIG. 3 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen for searching
for peers to invite for joining a user's peer network according to
one embodiment of the invention. A user may search for different
types of users registered with the server. For example, the user
may conduct a search based on name, email, interests, specialty,
practice location, and the like. Upon entry of such a search
request, the online portal 100b conducts a search of the user's
virtual professional network by accessing data stored in the
relationship database, and retrieves a list of qualified peers
matching the search criteria.
[0062] FIG. 4 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen listing peers
that are available for inviting into a user's peer network
according to one embodiment of the invention. According to one
embodiment, the resulting peers are peers who are in the user's
virtual professional network who are deemed to be qualified to
provide a peer reference to the user. According to one embodiment,
if a user is enrolled in the system but is not deemed to be a
qualified peer, such information may be displayed to the user
conducting the search. Alternatively, both qualifying and
non-qualifying peers may be listed as potential peers for inviting
to join a user's network. In either case, the user may send an
invitation message to join his or her peer network upon selection
of an invite option 400.
[0063] FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of an invitation message
for inviting peers to join a user's network according to one
embodiment of the invention. The user manually enters into box 410
emails of the peers he or she wants to invite, or such information
may be automatically inserted by the server based on user selection
of the invite option 400 for a specific user. The inviting user may
provide an optional message in box 412, and transmit the invitation
upon actuating a send button 414.
[0064] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a virtual peer
identification decision tree according to one embodiment of the
invention. The decision tree is invoked by the rules engine 100a in
step 202 of FIG. 2 to construct a particular individual's virtual
professional network. The decision tree is traversed by the rules
engine for evaluating various factors/criteria of the tree that are
used to determine whether the registered users of the system are
qualified to provide a peer reference for the particular
individual. The qualification criteria that may be evaluated
include, but are not limited to, a competency criteria 600,
discipline/area of specialization criteria 602, qualification
criteria 604, work history criteria 606, acquaintance criteria 608,
and the like.
[0065] According to one embodiment, the rules engine retrieves from
the data storage device a user record with the profile information
for each user, and compares the data stored for the user for
determining whether all (or in some embodiments, a portion) of the
qualification criteria have been satisfied. For example, in
evaluating the competency criteria 600, the rules engine may
determine based on profile data retrieved for the user and the
individual, whether the user was a trainer, supervisor, or proctor
for the individual. In order to make this evaluation, the user's
profile may include a competency field which may include
information of different people whom the user has trained or
supervised, a department or group for which the user was in charge,
or the like. The competency leg of the evaluation may be deemed to
have been satisfied if the user was a trainer or supervisor for the
particular individual.
[0066] In considering the discipline/area of specialization
criteria 602, the rules engine 100a may determine whether the
user's discipline or area of specification is same or similar to
the particular individual's discipline or area of specialization.
In order to make a determination as to whether one discipline/area
of specialization is similar to another, the rules engine may
examine a table that includes, for each discipline/area of
specialization, a list of other disciplines and areas of
specializations that are deemed to be similar. If the discipline or
area of specification is deemed to be the same or similar, the
discipline/area of specification criteria may be deemed to have
been satisfied.
[0067] In considering the qualification criteria 604, the rules
engine may determine whether the user's qualifications they are
equal or higher to the particular individual's qualifications in
order to determine that the qualification criteria has been
satisfied. The user's work history 606 may also be evaluated to
determine whether the user worked in the same institution as the
individual. If so, the work history criteria may be deemed to have
been satisfied. In addition, the acquaintance criteria 608 may be
evaluated for determining whether the user and individual are
familiar to each another in the professional field. For example, if
the user and individual have appeared together in a same
professional conference, were co-authors of a publication, or are
listed as being members to a same organization or charter, the
acquaintance criteria may be deemed to be satisfied for the
particular user being evaluated. In this regard, the rules engine
100a may compare the papers, organizations, charters, and the like,
listed by the user and the individual, for any overlaps.
[0068] The satisfying of each qualification criteria of the
decision tree causes the rules engine 100a to proceed to an
analysis of a next qualification criteria. Otherwise, the rules
engine 100a stops the evaluation process and concludes that the
user is not a qualified peer referral source. Affirmative answers
to all the criteria being evaluated causes a conclusion that the
user is a qualified peer 610. Alternatively, scores may be assigned
to each leg of the evaluation and a determination of whether a user
is a qualified peer or not may depend on whether an overall score
assigned to the user satisfies a minimum threshold score. The score
may also be weighted based on how important the particular data
being analyzed is in order to judge the user's competency as a peer
reference.
[0069] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process for obtaining a peer
reference from a qualified peer according to one embodiment of the
invention. The process may be described in terms of a software
routine executed by the processor in the server 100 based on
instructions stored in the server's memory. The instructions may
also be stored in other non-transient computer readable media such
as, for example, a disk, CD, flash drive, or the like. A person of
skill in the art should also recognize that the routine may be
executed via hardware, firmware (e.g. via an ASIC), or in any
combination of software, firmware, and/or hardware. Furthermore,
the sequence of steps of the process is not fixed, but can be
altered into any desired sequence as recognized by a person of
skill in the art.
[0070] The process starts, and in step 700, the online portal 100b
transmits a request to a qualified peer to provide a peer reference
for a particular provider. In this regard, the online portal 100b
may display an updated list of qualified peers for the particular
provider, and the user may select a peer from the list to whom he
or she wishes to send a request for peer referral. According to one
embodiment of the invention, the request may be an email message
including a link to a peer referral input form which the selected
peer is requested to fill out. Alternatively, the request or the
form itself may be sent to the peer via email, fax, mail, or any
other data communications medium conventional in the art.
[0071] In step 702, the online portal receives the peer reference
answers from the peer. Upon receipt, the online portal may
optionally be configured to submit the answers to the information
sources 106 to verify that the information is accurate, as is
discussed in further detail in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No.
7,529,682. Such information sources 106 may be social networking
sites, information databases, or any other body of information
conventional in the art. Any mechanism for identifying, accessing,
and comparing the information may be utilized as will be apparent
to a person of skill in the art. The server 100 may be configured
to transmit an alarm to the peer reference or any other entity
identified by the server, upon an indication of discrepancy in the
information being compared.
[0072] In step 703, the peer reference answers provided in the
structured, universal online form is stored in the data storage
device 108. According to one embodiment, the storing in the data
storage device 108 populates objects of a common object model for
retrieval when populating specific healthcare referral forms
provided by different healthcare entities.
[0073] In step 704 a determination is made as to whether a specific
referral form is to be generated based on the provided peer
referral. If a form is to be automatically generated, the online
portal invokes the forms engine 100c to identify the appropriate
form to generate in step 706. The identification may be based on
manual selection of the form by the user. The form may also be
automatically identified by the forms engine 100c based on an
indication by the user as to the ultimate recipient of the peer
referral.
[0074] After the form to be generated has been identified, the
forms engine 100c, in step 708, proceeds to pre-populate the
selected form based on the peer reference answers from the
peer.
[0075] In step 710, the online portal 100b provides the peer
reference information (which could be either the pre-populated form
or simply the peer reference answers as submitted by the peer in
the universal format), to a recipient indicated by the user. Such
recipient may be the user himself, in which case the form is
downloaded to the provider device 102 over the data communications
network 110, and stored locally at the provider device for
emailing, printing, or displaying at the provider device. The form
may also be transmitted to a healthcare entity 104 indicated by the
user or to some other requesting party, over the data
communications network 110.
[0076] The above-referenced U.S. application Ser. No. 13/022,550
provides a detailed description of step 708 for automatically
populating a form based on answers provided in a universal format
which have been mapped to a common object model. In order to
effectuate such mapping, the forms engine 100c includes a visual
mapping tool that displays objects of the common object model as
well as fields of the form to be mapped. A user drags and drops one
or more of the displayed objects into a mapping area, and drags and
drops a field to which the one or more objects are to be mapped.
The user also identifies a type of association between the selected
objects and the field. A mapping entry is then generated in a map
file to map the selected objects to the field. Each completed
mapping process produces a structured map file in XML or other
standard format with detailed metadata that stores a reference to
the specific form that was mapped. The map file and related
metadata is then stored in the data storage device 108.
[0077] FIG. 8 is a more detailed process flow diagram of step 708
of generating a form with automatically populated peer reference
data according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0078] In step 500, the forms engine 100c uses the form ID
corresponding to the selected referral form, and retrieves a
corresponding map file from the mass storage device 108.
[0079] In step 502, the forms engine 100c retrieves a stored
association from the map file. In this regard, the association
identifies the one or more object attributes or properties mapped
to a particular field of the form, along with any transformation or
aggregation functions that are to be performed for the
association.
[0080] In step 504, the forms engine 100c uses an instantiation of
a data access layer and uses the layer components to retrieve data
stored for the identified object attribute or property.
[0081] In step 506, the forms engine 100c processes the retrieved
data according to the retrieved association. In this regard, the
forms engine 100c identifies any conversion and/or aggregation rule
indicated for the association, and invokes the appropriate
algorithm(s) for processing the retrieved data according to the
conversion and/or aggregation rule. The processing may be as simple
as making a copy of the retrieved data for entering the data as-is
into the corresponding form, such as, for example, if the
aggregation is a direct mapping of the data. For other types of
conversions and/or aggregations, the algorithm may require
transformation, derivation, and/or concatenating of the data, as
well as inserting spaces or text (e.g. hyphens, commas,
semi-colons, etc.).
[0082] In step 508, the forms engine 100c uses the processed data
to automatically populate the corresponding form field.
[0083] In step 510, a determination is made as to whether there are
any other associations in the map file that need to be processed
for auto-populating the form. If the answer is YES, the forms
engine 100c returns to step 502 to process the other associations.
Otherwise, if the answer is NO, the forms engine 100c pulls, in
step 512, a stored e-signature of the party providing the peer
referral, as well as a date, and enters this information into
corresponding fields of the form. The form is then ready to be
displayed on the provider device 102 for review by the provider.
The provider may review and make any needed updates to the
pre-populated information, and/or manually enter information for
any fields that have not been automatically pre-populated. The form
is then ready to be downloaded to the provider, or to be submitted
directly to a healthcare entity coupled to the server. In this
regard, the web portal 100b may provide a "download" option which
causes transmitting a copy of the filled form for storing in a data
store coupled to the provider device. The web portal 100b may also
provide a "submit" option which prompts the user to enter
information of the entity (e.g. an email address) who is to receive
a copy of the filled form.
[0084] FIG. 9 is an exemplary screen shot of a screen displaying a
universal peer reference form according to one embodiment of the
invention. According to one embodiment, the universal peer
reference form may be accessed upon receipt of the request message
from the requesting user. The particular form to be completed may
be identified by a URL link included in the request. Selection of
the link by the peer causes a display of the peer reference form as
shown in FIG. 9. Alternatively, the peer may, with or without
prompting, access the online portal 100b and navigate to the peer
reference page shown in FIG. 9.
[0085] According to one embodiment of the invention, instead of a
peer completing a specific referral form which may vary from
institution to institution, the peer completes the universal
reference form, and the forms engine 100c auto-completes the
specific referral forms that may have to be submitted to one or
more institutions. In this manner, the peer need not repeat data
entry if multiple references need to be submitted to multiple
institutions. In this regard, various fields 300-306 of the
universal form are each mapped to an object of the common object
model associated with the form. The objects of the common object
model are in turn mapped to fields of specific referral forms
maintained in the data storage device 108. The mapping data is then
used to auto-.complete the specific referral forms for submitting
to the appropriate recipients.
[0086] FIG. 10 is an exemplary screen shot of a references page
listing various peers for whom peer references have been received
according to one embodiment of the invention. A user who has
requested and received peer references may access the references
page via the online portal 100b. The user may view all or a portion
of information contained in the peer reference by selecting link
402. Basic information 404 about the peer providing the reference
may also be retrieved from the peer's profile and displayed on the
screen.
[0087] Although this invention has been described in certain
specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will have no
difficulty devising variations to the described embodiment which in
no way depart from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Furthermore, to those skilled in the various arts, the invention
itself herein will suggest solutions to other tasks and adaptations
for other applications. For example, although peer referencing is
described in the context of healthcare peer referencing, a person
of skill in the art should recognize that embodiments of the
present invention applies to other disciplines that may require
references to be submitted, such as, for example, for job
applications, college admissions, and the like. It is the
Applicant's intention to cover by claims all such uses of the
invention and those changes and modifications which could be made
to the embodiments of the invention herein chosen for the purpose
of disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. Thus, the present embodiments of the invention should be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the
scope of the invention to be indicated by the appended claims and
their equivalents rather than the foregoing description.
* * * * *