U.S. patent application number 13/912505 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-17 for connecting consumers with service providers.
This patent application is currently assigned to AMERICAN WELL CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is Roy Schoenberg. Invention is credited to Roy Schoenberg.
Application Number | 20130275146 13/912505 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43428174 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130275146 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schoenberg; Roy |
October 17, 2013 |
CONNECTING CONSUMERS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS
Abstract
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.
Inventors: |
Schoenberg; Roy; (Boston,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schoenberg; Roy |
Boston |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AMERICAN WELL CORPORATION
Boston
MA
|
Family ID: |
43428174 |
Appl. No.: |
13/912505 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12633115 |
Dec 8, 2009 |
8463620 |
|
|
13912505 |
|
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|
|
61223901 |
Jul 8, 2009 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H 80/00 20180101;
G06Q 10/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/2 |
International
Class: |
G06F 19/00 20060101
G06F019/00; G06Q 50/22 20060101 G06Q050/22 |
Claims
1-31. (canceled)
32. A computer-implemented method comprises: receiving, by a
computer, a request to view information representing one or more
medical service providers who are associated with one or more
attributes that specify that the one or more medical service
providers are associated with a medical service team that provides
medical services to a consumer; accessing, by the computer, a data
repository that stores information pertaining to medical service
providers, with at least a portion of the information indicative of
provider availability for participating in a consultation;
identifying, by the computer and from the stored information, which
of the medical service providers are available; identifying, by the
computer, an available medical service provider associated with one
or more attributes that specify that the available medical service
provider is associated with the medical service team of the
consumer; and producing information indicative of the available
medical service provider identified.
33. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein producing
comprises: transmitting, to a device that sent the request, the
information indicative of the available medical service provider
identified.
34. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein the
request is a first request, and wherein the method further
comprises: receiving, from a device that sent the first request, a
second request for a communication with the available medical
service provider identified.
35. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, further
comprising: causing establishment of a communication channel
between a device used by available medical service provider
identified and a device used by the consumer.
36. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, further
comprising: establishing a communication channel between a device
used by available medical service provider identified and a device
used by the consumer.
37. The computer-implemented method of claim 32, wherein receiving
the request comprises at least one of: receiving, by the computer
from a device associated with the consumer, the request; and
receiving, by the computer from a device associated with a service
provider, the request.
38. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer
readable storage device, the computer program product comprising
instructions for causing a computer to perform operations
comprising: receiving a request to view information representing
one or more medical service providers who are associated with one
or more attributes that specify that the one or more medical
service providers are associated with a medical service team that
provides medical services to a consumer; accessing a data
repository that stores information pertaining to medical service
providers, with at least a portion of the information indicative of
provider availability for participating in a consultation;
identifying, from the stored information, which of the medical
service providers are available; identifying an available medical
service provider associated with one or more attributes that
specify that the available medical service provider is associated
with the medical service team of the consumer; and producing
information indicative of the available medical service provider
identified.
39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein producing
comprises: transmitting, to a device that sent the request, the
information indicative of the available medical service provider
identified.
40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the request
is a first request, and wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from a device that sent the first request, a second
request for a communication with the available medical service
provider identified.
41. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the
operations further comprise: causing establishment of a
communication channel between a device used by available medical
service provider identified and a device used by the consumer.
42. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the
operations further comprise: establishing a communication channel
between a device used by available medical service provider
identified and a device used by the consumer.
43. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein receiving the
request comprises at least one of: receiving, by the computer from
a device associated with the consumer, the request; and receiving,
by the computer from a device associated with a service provider,
the request.
44. An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a computer program
product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer
program product comprising instructions for causing the processor
to perform operations comprising: receiving a request to view
information representing one or more medical service providers who
are associated with one or more attributes that specify that the
one or more medical service providers are associated with a medical
service team that provides medical services to a consumer;
accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to
medical service providers, with at least a portion of the
information indicative of provider availability for participating
in a consultation; identifying, from the stored information, which
of the medical service providers are available; identifying an
available medical service provider associated with one or more
attributes that specify that the available medical service provider
is associated with the medical service team of the consumer; and
producing information indicative of the available medical service
provider identified.
45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein producing comprises:
transmitting, to a device that sent the request, the information
indicative of the available medical service provider
identified.
46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the request is a first
request, and wherein the operations further comprise: receiving,
from a device that sent the first request, a second request for a
communication with the available medical service provider
identified.
47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the operations further
comprise: causing establishment of a communication channel between
a device used by available medical service provider identified and
a device used by the consumer.
48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the operations further
comprise: establishing a communication channel between a device
used by available medical service provider identified and a device
used by the consumer.
49. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein receiving the request
comprises at least one of: receiving, by the computer from a device
associated with the consumer, the request; and receiving, by the
computer from a device associated with a service provider, the
request.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation and claims priority under
35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/633,115,
filed on Dec. 8, 2009, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to provisional U.S. Patent Application 61/223,901,
filed on Jul. 8, 2009, the entire contents of each which are hereby
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention is directed to connecting consumers
with service providers.
[0003] Systems have been developed to connect consumers and their
providers over the Internet and the World Wide Web. Some systems
use e-mail messaging and web-based forms to increase the level of
connectivity between a member of a health plan and his assigned
health care provider. The consumer sends an e-mail or goes to a
website that generates and sends a message (typically an e-mail or
an e-mail type message) to a local provider.
[0004] These types of services have been broadly referred to as
"e-visits." While generally viewed as an addition to the spectrum
of services that may be desired by consumers, the benefits of such
services are not clear. One of the concerns associated with
offering additional communication channels, such as e-mail, is that
it can result in over consumption of services, rather than provide
for better coordination.
[0005] Another system is a brokerage type of system as described in
my issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,550, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
SUMMARY
[0006] In general, in one aspect, 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.
[0007] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. An instruction to send the electronic invitation to one
or more selected service providers is received from one of the
medical service team members. The listing of medical service team
members is updated with names of one or more service providers
accepting the electronic invitation. A message including names of
one or more other medical service team members to be removed from
the listing of medical service team members is received from one of
the medical service team members and the received names of the one
or more other medical service team members are removed from the
listing of medical service team members.
[0008] Implementations may also include one or more of the
following features. Status data regarding present availability of
the one or more medical service providers on the listing of medical
service team members is retrieved from a data repository and a user
interface is generated. The user interface renders one or more
visual representations of the one or more medical service providers
with an indication of the present availability status of the one or
more medical service providers juxtaposed to the one or more visual
representations. Medical specialty data is also retrieved from the
data repository, with the medical specialty data including the one
or more medical service providers on the listing of medical service
team members. A user interface is generated that renders one or
more visual representations of the one or more medical service
providers with medical specialty data of the medical service
providers juxtaposed to the one or more visual representations. A
real-time communication channel is established between one of the
medical service team members and one or more other, different
medical service teams members. A real-time communication channel is
established between one or more of the medical service team members
and the consumer of medical services.
[0009] In general, in one aspect, a computer-implemented method
comprises generating by a computer a first graphical user
interface, the first graphical user interface when displayed on a
display device, rendering: a first visual representation
corresponding to at least one or more medical service providers
associated with a consumer's medical service team; a second visual
representation corresponding to one or more prior communications
between a consumer of services and the one or more medical service
providers associated with the consumer's medical service team; and
a first link that when selected causes a computing device
associated with the display device on which the first graphical
user interface is rendered to send a message to a brokerage system
to establish a real-time communication channel between one of the
one or more medical service providers associated with the
consumer's medical service team and another, different one of the
one or more medical service providers associated with the
consumer's medical service team.
[0010] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. A visual representation of a timeline indicating, for
each of the communications between the consumer of services and a
medical service provider, a date of the communication. A third
visual representation corresponding to a list of topics posted to a
virtual discussion board by one or more of the medical service
providers associated with the consumer's medical service team; and
a second link that when selected causes the display device to
display a second, different graphical user interface including a
text box in which a medical service provider enters a topic for
discussion.
[0011] Implementations may also include one or more of the
following features. A fourth visual representation corresponding to
a current availability of the one or more medical service providers
associated with the consumer's medical service team; and a fifth
visual representation including data indicative of medical
conditions and medications associated with the consumer of
services. A second link that when selected causes the display
device to display a second, different graphical user interface
including health history information associated with the consumer
of services; and a third link that when selected causes the display
device to display a third, different graphical user interface
including provider decision support information.
[0012] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are
set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the description and drawings, and from the
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer-based brokerage
system.
[0014] FIGS. 2, 4, 6A, 6B, 7, 8 and 9 are screen images of
graphical user interfaces generated by the brokerage system.
[0015] FIGS. 3, 5 and 10 are flow charts of processes executed in
the brokerage system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Through a brokerage system, a consumer of services engages
in a consultation with a service provider, as described in my
issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,550. Additionally, through the brokerage
system, a service provider accesses and views information of other
service providers associated with the brokerage system.
[0017] Using the brokerage system and its associated services, a
service provider assembles a medical services team (referred to
herein as a "medical home team"), including a team of one or more
other service providers collaborating together to provide a
consumer (e.g., a patient) with coordinated health care. The
medical home team shares clinical information with each other
regarding a consumer, views updates to a consumer's health record
and initiates consultations with each other or other service
providers not otherwise part of the medical home team. The service
provider who assembles the medical home team is referred to as the
medical home manager. The other service providers, who were invited
by the medical home manager to join the medical home team, are
referred to as medical home team members.
Generation of a Medical Home Team
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, a brokerage system 10 to provide a
brokerage service to connect consumers of services 12 with
providers of services 14 is shown. The system 10 includes a
computerized system or server 16 for making connections between
consumers 12, at client systems 18, and service providers 14, at
client systems 20, over a network 22, e.g., the Internet or other
types of networks. The computerized system 16 operates as a service
running on a web server 24.
[0019] The computerized system 16 includes an availability or
presence tracking module 26 for tracking the availability of the
service providers 14. The computerized system 16 includes an access
control facility 28, which manages and controls whether a given
consumer 12 has access to the system 16 and what level or scope of
access to the features, functions, and services is provided by the
system 16. The computerized system 16 also includes one or more
processes such as a scheduling module 30. Also included in the
computerized system 16 is a process 32 that allows a service
provider 14 to generate a medical home team, as described in more
detail below. The system 16 accesses one or more databases 34. The
components of the system 16 and the web server 24 are integrated or
distributed in various combinations as is commonly known in the
art.
[0020] Using the system 10, a consumer 12 communicates with a
provider 14. The consumers 12 and providers 14 connect to the
computerized system 16 through a website or other interface on the
web server 24 using client devices 18 and 20, respectively. Client
devices 18 and 20 include any combination of, e.g., personal
digital assistants, land-line telephones, cell phones, computer
systems, media-player-type devices, and so forth. The client
devices 18 and 20 enable the consumers 12 to input and receive
information as well as to communicate via video, audio, and/or text
with the providers 14.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, a graphical user interface 40,
generated through the brokerage system 10 and displayed for a
service provider 14 on a service provider system 20, includes a
consumer's profile 42 and a link 44. Selection of the link 44
allows a service provider 14 to generate a medical home team. The
brokerage system 10 lists the service provider 14 who selects the
link 44 as the medical home manager. Selection of link 44 results
in sending of a message or data from the service provider's system
20 to the server 16 in the brokerage system 10 to generate a
medical home team.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 3, generation 50 of a medical home team is
shown. The brokerage system 10 receives 52 a message from a service
provider 14 to generate a medical home team. The brokerage system
10 determines 54 whether a medical home team already exists. If a
medical home team already exists, a message is displayed 56 to the
service provider 14 indicating that a medical home team already
exists. If the brokerage system 10 determines that a medical home
team does not already exist, then a graphical user interface is
displayed 58 that includes the terms and conditions associated with
generating a medical home team and prompts the service provider 14
to affirm the service provider's request to generate a medical home
team. Upon the service provider's affirmation of the request to
generate a medical home team, a secure message is sent 60 to the
consumer's electronic mail inbox associated with the brokerage
system 10.
[0023] The consumer 12 logs 62 into the brokerage system 10 and
accesses the secure message including the request to generate a
medical home team by clicking 64 on a link associated with the
secure message. The consumer 12 reviews 66 the details of the
request to generate a medical home team, including the name of the
service provider 14 initiating the request, and decides 68 whether
to accept or decline the request. If the consumer 12 declines the
request, the brokerage system 10 sends 74 a secure message to the
service provider 14 initiating the request. The message indicates
that the consumer 12 has declined the request to generate a medical
home team.
[0024] If the consumer 12 accepts the request to generate a medical
home team, the service provider 14 is added 70 to the consumer's
contact list of service providers and the brokerage system 10 sets
72 the service provider 14 making the request as the medical home
manager. The brokerage system 10 sends 74 a secure message,
indicating the consumer's acceptance of the request to generate the
medical home team, to the service provider 14 initiating the
request.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, the brokerage system 10 generates a
graphical user interface 80 that includes details and links
associated with a consumer's medical home team. The consumer's
original profile graphical user interface 40 (FIG. 2) is updated,
as shown, with text 82 indicating that the consumer 12 is
associated with a medical home team. The graphical user interface
80 includes the name 84 of the consumer 12 for which the medical
home team information is displayed. Section 86 of the graphical
user interface 80 visually highlights the name of the medical home
manager.
[0026] Section 88 of the graphical user interface 80 includes a
list of supplemental information, including recent conditions.
Section 90 of the graphical user interface 80 includes a list of
recent medications associated with the consumer 12. The graphical
user interface 80 also includes a section (not shown) through which
a medical home team member adds notes regarding the consumer 12 and
uploads files, such as medical history charts, associated with the
consumer 12. When adding notes or files, the graphical user
interface displays a prompt box in which the medical home team
member specifies if the added notes and files are accessible and
viewable by the consumer 12.
[0027] Tab or link 92 displays information associated with the
consumer's medical home, as discussed in further detail below. Tab
or link 94, when selected, displays information about the
consumer's medical home team, as discussed in further detail below
with regards to FIG. 9. Tab or link 96, when selected, displays
information associated with a consumer's health history, as
described in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,550. Tab or link 98,
when selected, displays decision support information, as described
in my co-pending provisional Application No. 61/179,333, filed on
May 18, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein
by reference.
[0028] The graphical user interface 80 includes a "P2P
Consultation" link 100, selection of which initiates the
establishment of a provider-to-provider consultation, as described
in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/614,842 filed
on Nov. 9, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
[0029] Through the "conference call" link 102, medical home team
members initiate ("initiating medical home team member(s)")
conference calls with other medical home team members, as discussed
in further detail below, as discussed un further detail below with
regards to FIG. 7.
[0030] Through a link 104 (e.g., the "secure message" link) medical
home team members send secure messages to other medical home team
members. The send secure message functionality allows a medical
home team member to send a secure message to an individual medical
home team member or to multiple medical home team members, such as
all the service providers 14 included in the medical home team.
[0031] The graphical user interface 80 also includes a "suggest
follow-up" link 106. By selecting the link 106, a medical home team
member adds follow-up recommendations to a consumer's agenda, which
is described in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,550, or a list of
items for the consumer 12 to perform. The types of follow-up
actions added to a consumer's agenda or list include scheduling or
engaging in a communication with a specific medical home team
member, scheduling or engaging in a communication with a service
provider 14 who is not a member of the consumer's medical home
team, and participating in medical assessments, questionnaires and
medical trackers to monitor and assess a consumer's health, such as
a consumer's hemoglobin levels.
[0032] The medical home manager manages the medical home team by
adding service providers 14 to the medical home team and removing
service providers 14 from the medical home team. Graphical user
interface 80 includes link 108, selection of which enables the
medical home manager to add a service provider 14 to the medical
home team. If the consumer's primary care physician is enrolled in
the brokerage system 10, he/she is automatically added to the
medical home team.
[0033] Graphical user interface 80 also includes link 110,
selection of which enables the medical home manager to remove a
service provider 14 from the medical home team. The brokerage
system 10 generates a message and sends the message to the removed
service provider 14 alerting the service provider 14 of the removal
from the consumer's medical home team. Additionally, the brokerage
system 10 generates a message and sends the message to the consumer
12 alerting the consumer 12 of the removal of the service provider
14 from the consumer's medical home team. Links 108, 110 displayed
on the graphical user interface 80 are displayed for the medical
home manager. Alternatively, links 108, 110 displayed on the
graphical user interface 80 are displayed for the medical home
manager and the medical home team members.
[0034] Still referring to FIG. 4, the graphical user interface 80
includes a timeline list 132 of the consumer's communications with
the consumer's medical home team. A dropdown list 112 allows the
medical home team member to select the time period, such as three
months or twelve months, for which a consumer's communications are
displayed. The timeline list 132 displays a visual representation
116, 118, 120 of the consumer's communications occurring during the
selected time period. The displayed details include the name 122
and specialty 124 of the medical home team member engaging in the
communication, the date 126 of the communication, and topics 128
discussed during the communication. The visual representation 116,
118, 120 of the consumer's communications is a link, selection of
which causes another graphical user interface to display additional
details, including topics discussed and diagnoses, of the
communication between the medical home team member and the consumer
12. The timeline list 132 also includes links 114, 130, selection
of which causes the time frame of the timeline list 132 to shift
forwards or backwards, such as by forward or backward one month,
and thus generate a new time frame and display a visual
representation of the communications that occurred during the new
time frame.
[0035] The graphical user interface 80 also includes a list 134 of
active and invited medical home team members 136a-136e. A link is
associated with each of the medical home team members 136a-136e,
selection of which causes another graphical user interface to be
displayed that includes, for the selected medical home team member,
the medical home team member's name, specialty, patient star
rating, gender, location, board certification, professional
affiliations and education. For each medical home member 136a-136e,
the current status 138a-138e, including busy, offline or available,
of the medical home team member 136a-136e is displayed in graphical
user interface 80. For the medical home team members 136a, 136b
currently available, the medical home manager 136c (or medical home
team member 136a-136e) is provided with the option of initiating a
consultation with the available medical team member by selecting a
link, including the "Connect" link 138a, 138b.
[0036] The discussion board section 140 of the graphical user
interface 80 facilitates the medical home team members' 136a-136e
discussion of and collaboration regarding a consumer 12. Through
the selection of link 142, another graphical user interface (not
shown) is displayed including textboxes in which a medical home
team member 136a-136e posts a new item, such as a question or a
diagnosis concerning the consumer 12, in the discussion board
section 140 of the graphical user interface 80. The discussion
board section 140 also includes visual representations 146, 150,
154 of prior postings made by medical home team members 136a-136e
in the discussion board section 140. When a posting is added to the
discussion board section 140, the brokerage system 10 captures and
displays the "Date/Time Added" information and "Added by User"
information and displays this information in the discussion board
section 140 of the graphical user interface 80. Additionally, each
posting includes the name and area of specialty 144, 148, 152 of
the medical home team member 136a-136e making the posting. When a
new message is added, the medical home team members 136a-136e,
including the medical home manager 136c, receive a secure message
indicating that a new posting has been made in the discussion board
section 140.
[0037] The graphical user interface 80 may also include links or
buttons (not shown) allowing the medical home manager to appoint a
new medical home manager from the medical home team members
136a-136e. When the medical home manager 136c appoints a medical
home team member 136a-136e to be the new medical home manager, a
message is sent to the appointed medical home team member
136a-136e, informing the medical home team member 136a-136e of the
appointment.
[0038] The graphical user interface 80 may include a link (not
shown) through which a medical home team member 136a-136e exports
or prints the list 134 of providers in the consumer's medical home
team.
[0039] The brokerage system 10 also generates a graphical user
interface through which medical home team members 136a-136e
generate and edit distribution lists for members of the medical
home team, with lists being selectable from a list of recipients
when composing a secure message or replying to a secure message.
The medical home team members 136a-136e communicate with one
another in various other ways, including any combination of video
conferencing, text chatting and talking to one another directly
over a landline or voice-over internet protocol telephone
connection facilitated and established through the brokerage system
10, as described in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/105,784, published as "US-2009-0262919-A1," and incorporated
herein by reference.
[0040] Graphical user interface 80 also includes a section with a
textbox ("target textbox") (now shown) that is editable, in which a
medical home team member 136a-136e sets target goals for the
consumer 12. Each target textbox is associated with another text
box ("status text box"), in which a medical home team member
136a-136e, including the medical home manager 136c, enters the
status, such as "attained" or "incomplete," of each target goal.
When a target goal is achieved, as indicated by a medical home team
member 136a-136e editing the status text box to include "attained"
text, the medical home team members 136a-136e receive a secure
message indicating successful completion of the target goal. A list
(not shown) of the completed target goals is visually displayed on
the graphical user interface 80.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 5, the brokerage system 10 adds 160 a
service provider 14 to the medical home team, as follows. The
medical home manger clicks 162 on the "add team member" link 108
(FIG. 4) and the brokerage system 10 generates and renders a
graphical user interface that allows the medical home manager to
search 164 and select a service provider 14 to add to the medical
home team. The medical home manager searches for service providers
14 to add to the medical home team, based on service provider name,
service provider specialty or service provider area of
practice.
[0042] The service provider 14 selected by the medical home manager
to join the medical home team is sent 166 a secure message
including an invitation to join the medical home team. The message
can include a note that is added by the medical home manager that
includes an explanation of why the medical home manager would like
the service provider to join the medical home team. The invited
service provider 14 accesses the secure message by logging 168 into
the brokerage system 10 and clicking 170 on a link associated with
the secure message, selection of the link causing the secure
message to be displayed on a display device. The service provider
14 reviews 172 the secure message, including the invitation 208
(FIG. 6A) and determines 174 whether to accept or decline the
invitation to join the medical home.
[0043] If the service provider 14 accepts the invitation, such as
by selecting button 200 (FIG. 6A), the service provider 14 is added
176 to the consumer's contact list of service providers and the
brokerage system 10 adds 178 the service provider 14 to the list
134 of medical home team members 136a-136e. A message is sent 180
to the medical home manager informing the medical home manager of
the service provider's acceptance of the invitation. Additionally,
the consumer 12 receives a secure message alerting the consumer 12
that the service provider 14 was added to the consumer's medical
home team. If the service provider 14 declines the invitation, such
as by selecting button 202 (FIG. 6A), a message is sent 180 to the
medical home manager informing the medical home manager that the
service provider 14 has declined the invitation.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 6A, a graphical user interface 190
displays an invitations tab 192. The number of unread invitations
194 is displayed in the invitations tab 192. The invitations tab
192 also includes links 196, 198 associated with a service
provider's invitations 208 to join a medical home team. By
selecting one of the links 196, 198, the invitation 208 to join the
medical home team is displayed by a display device, including
client device 20 (FIG. 1).
[0045] The invitation 208 includes the gender 204 and age 206 of
the consumer 12, along with a note 210 from the medical home
manager. The graphical user interface 190 also includes an "accept"
button 200, selection of which sends a message to the brokerage
system 10 indicating that the service provider 14 accepts the
invitation to join the medical home team. When accepting an
invitation, the service provider 14 enters his/her initials
certifying that a clinical relationship is being formed between the
service provider 14 and the consumer 12. The graphical user
interface 190 also includes a "decline" button 202, selection of
which sends a message to the brokerage system 10 indicating that
the service provider 14 declines the invitation to join the medical
home team. When declining an invitation, a text box (not shown) is
displayed in which the service provider 14 enters additional
information pertaining to why the invitation was declined.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 6B, another graphical user interface 216
displays a message center section 218, including the number of
unread invitations 220.
[0047] Referring now to FIG. 7, a graphical user interface 230 is
generated when a medical home team member 136a-136e selects the
conference call link 102 in FIG. 4. The initiating medical home
team member selects one or more other medical home team members
with whom to have a conference call. When the conference call is
initiated, an intelligent voice response ("IVR") system initiates
an outdial to the selected medical home team members. The IVR
system indicates that this is a conference request from the
initiating medical home team member on behalf of the consumer 12.
The graphical user interface 230 includes a dialogue box 232
including details relating to a status of the conference call. The
dialogue box 232 includes the names 234, 238, 242, 246 of the
medical home team members 136a-136e requested to join the
conference call by the initiating medical home team member
136a-136e. The dialogue box 232 also includes each medical home
team member's progress and status in joining the conference call,
including connected 236, 240, unavailable 244 and calling 248.
Through selection of link 250, the initiating medical home team
member 136a-136e cancels the conference call.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 8, a graphical user interface 260 includes
a list 262 of a service provider's consumers 12. A relationship
field 264, associated with each consumer 12, indicates the service
provider's relationship, including medical home manager 266 and
medical home team member 268, with the consumer 12. When a service
provider 14 is added to a medical home team for a consumer 12, for
example by accepting an invitation 208 (FIG. 6A) to join a medical
home team, the brokerage system 10 updates the list 262 with the
name of the consumer 12 for which the service provider 14 has been
added to the consumer's medical home team and updates the
relationship field 264 to indicate that the service provider 14 is
a medical home team member 268 of the consumer's medical home team.
When a service provider generates 52 (FIG. 3) a medical home team
for a consumer 12, the relationship field 264 associated with the
consumer 12 is updated to display in the graphical user interface
260 that the service provider 14 is the consumer's medical home
manager 266.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 9, a graphical user interface 274 is
generated by the brokerage system 10 for display on a display
device 18, 20. The graphical user interface 274 includes a visual
representation of the medical home team members 276, 280, 282, 286,
288 associated with the consumer's medical home team. For each of
the medical home team members 276, 280, 282, 286, 288, a status,
including "available" 292 and "busy" 294, of the medical home team
member 276, 280, 282, 286, 288 is displayed. For the available 292
medical home team members 276, 280, 282, 286, buttons 278, 284 are
generated and displayed, selection of which initiates a
communication between the consumer 12 and the available medical
home team members 276, 280, 282, 286 associated with the selected
button. Selection of button 290 places the consumer 12 in a virtual
waiting room or queue until the medical home team member 286, 290
is available to engage in a communication with the consumer 12.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 10, various processes 300 are executed by
the brokerage system 10 in generating the graphical user interface
274 (FIG. 9). The brokerage system 10 accesses 302 a data
repository storing names of the medical home team members 136a-136e
or 276, 280, 282, 286, 288 in a consumer's medical home team. The
brokerage system 10 queries 304 the data repository for a list of
the medical home team members 136a-136e (FIG. 4) and 276, 280, 282,
286, 288 (FIG. 9) associated with the consumer's medical home team.
The brokerage system 10 receives 306 from the data repository a
list of medical home team members 136a-136e and/or 276, 280, 282,
286, 288, included in the consumer's medical home team. Based on
this list, the brokerage system 10 generates the graphical user
interfaces 80 (FIG. 4) and/or 274 (FIG. 9) that displays a visual
representation of the consumer's medical home team members
136c-136e and/or 276, 280, 282, 286, 288, respectively.
[0051] In generating graphical user interface 80, the brokerage
system 10 also queries the database for supplemental information
associated with the consumer of services 12, the name of the
consumer's medical home manager, a list of prior communications the
consumer 12 has engaged in with the consumer's medical home team
members 136a-136e and a list of the prior postings made by medical
home team members in the discussion board section 140 of the
graphical user interface 80. Based on this information, the
brokerage system 10 generates lists 88, 90 of supplemental
information, the area 86 of the graphical user interface 80 which
includes the name of the medical home manager, the timeline list
132 and the discussion board section 140 of the graphical user
interface 80.
[0052] The medical home graphical user interface, including the
graphical user interface 80, is generated and hosted by the same
computing devices that host the brokerage system 10, as described
in U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,550. The medical home graphical user
interface is also generated and hosted by computing devices that
are separate from the machines that host the brokerage system 10.
The medical home graphical user interface is hosted on one
computing device or more than one computing device in a distributed
environment. The computing devices that host the medical home
graphical user interface are connected to a data repository 34 that
stores medical information for a consumer of medical services 12.
The medical information includes the consumer's attending
physicians and medical doctors, medical records, and medical
prescriptions. When generating the medical home graphical user
interface, the computing devices access and query the data
repository for a consumer's medical information.
[0053] Embodiments can be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in
combinations thereof. Apparatus of the invention can be implemented
in a computer program product tangibly embodied or stored in a
machine-readable storage device for execution by a programmable
processor; and method actions can be performed by a programmable
processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions
of the invention by operating on input data and generating output.
The invention can be implemented advantageously in one or more
computer programs that are executable on a programmable system
including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive
data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions
to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least
one output device. Each computer program can be implemented in a
high-level procedural or object oriented programming language, or
in assembly or machine language if desired; and in any case, the
language can be a compiled or interpreted language.
[0054] Suitable processors include, by way of example, both general
and special purpose microprocessors. Generally, a processor will
receive instructions and data from a read-only memory and/or a
random access memory. Generally, a computer will include one or
more mass storage devices for storing data files; such devices
include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storage devices
suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and
data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of
example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and
flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks
and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD_ROM disks. Any
of the foregoing can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs
(application-specific integrated circuits).
[0055] Other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the
description claims. In one example, the brokerage system 10 is used
to generate a graphical user interface through which various types
of service providers 14, including legal service providers (e.g.,
attorneys and paralegals) and financial service providers (e.g.,
accounts and fund managers), collaborate and share information
pertaining to a client. For example, due to the nature of software,
functions described above can be implemented using software,
hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these.
Features implementing functions may also be physically located at
various positions, including being distributed such that portions
of functions are implemented at different physical locations.
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