Website messaging system

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for processing a message from a patient for one of a plurality of physicians through a web site. The method includes the steps of providing one or more web pages to the patient from the web site containing indicia of identity for each physician of the plurality of physicians and detecting selection by the patient of a physician of the plurality of physicians. The method further includes the steps of determining an information content of the message and routing the message based upon the determined information content and a predetermined routing criteria provided by the selected physician.

1 - 56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . A method of routing a message from a requestor to a healthcare provider through a central location, such method comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at the central location, a plurality of message destinations;   receiving, at the central location, a respective criteria for routing a message to each of the received message destinations;   receiving, at the central location, at least a first input including the message, the message including at least one destination;   parsing the message to determine the at least one destination;   routing the message to the at least one destination responsive to the determined destination and respective criteria.   
     
     
         58 . The method of routing messages as in  claim 57  wherein the message destinations comprise one or more of a cell phone, a pager, an email inbox, a computer terminal and an office phone of the healthcare provider. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the respective criteria includes a priority associated with the first input, and wherein the message is routed to the at least one destination responsive to the priority and the destination associated with the priority. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  wherein a high priority is associated with a first characteristic of the first input and a low priority is associated with a second characteristic of the first input. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59  wherein the priority is associated with a time of day. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 57  wherein the plurality of message destinations is received from a healthcare worker, and wherein the message is received from a requestor. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 57  wherein at least one of the parsing and routing is performed by a processor. 
     
     
         64 . A method of routing a message through a communication server, such method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a plurality of message destinations from a healthcare worker, each message destination associated with at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider;   receiving a respective criteria from the healthcare worker, the respective criteria including a rule set for routing messages to each of the plurality of message destinations;   receiving a request for a form from a requestor, the request received at a central location;   sending the requested form to the requestor;   receiving a form from the requestor responsive to the sending;   sending the received form as a message to the at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider;   determining, at a processor, an information content of the message received from the requestor;   selecting, at the processor, a message destination from the plurality of destinations based on the information content and respective criteria; and   routing the message to the selected message destination.   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64  wherein the routing criteria further comprises at least one of an expressed medical condition of the requestor, a preexisting condition of the requestor, a classification of the requestor, and a name of the requestor. 
     
     
         66 . A method of routing a message to at least one of a plurality of destinations, the method comprising:
 receiving at least a first list of destinations;   receiving at least a first criteria associated with of the destinations;   receiving a message;   parsing the message based on the criteria; and   routing the message to at least one of the received destinations based on at least one of the first criteria responsive to the parsing.   
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein the first list of destinations comprises at least two communication pathways associated with at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider. 
     
     
         68 . A method of routing a message, the method comprising:
 receiving at least a first destination and a first criteria associated with the first destination;   sending a form for receiving a message, the form comprising a predetermined formatted data structure;   receiving the message including at least a portion of the data within the predetermined formatted data structure;   parsing the message response to the receiving;   determining at least a first destination for the message based on the first criteria and the parsing; and   routing the message to the destination based on the determination.   
     
     
         69 . A system for routing a message, the system including:
 at least a first web server;   at least a first processor in communication with the first web server;   a communications terminal connecting the web server with a network;   at least a first memory in electrical communication with the processor, the first memory storing a plurality of destinations with associated criteria; and wherein the system is configured to receive a message at the first web server, parse the received message with the first processor, and route the received message to one of the plurality of destinations based on the criteria and the parsing.   
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 69  wherein the system receives the plurality of destinations with associated criteria from a healthcare provider, and wherein the system receives the message from a requestor. 
     
     
         71 . A system for routing a message to a healthcare worker, the system comprising:
 at least a first patient interface operable to function as a patient interface and provide information to and receive information from a requestor;   a central location operable to receive information from the patient interface and determine a priority of a message received from the patient interface; and   at least a first healthcare worker interface operable to deliver a message from the patient interface to at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider, wherein the healthcare worker interface comprises at least one record for each of the at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider and at least a first criteria associated with a routing instruction, and wherein the healthcare worker interface is further operable to deliver an identified one of the at least one of a physician, psychologist, dentist, physical therapist, and a treatment provider the received information responsive to the first criteria and routing instruction.   
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 71  wherein the criteria is determined responsive to a key word search of the received message. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 71  wherein the healthcare worker interface comprises a content processor and a routing processor, wherein the content processor and routing processor are in communication. 
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 71  further comprising an electronic medical record, and wherein the electronic medical record is automatically populated responsive to information received from the requestor.