Internet system for connecting healthcare providers and patients

Abstract

An Internet-based system involves a database and search capabilities for connecting patients with healthcare providers, e.g., physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, treatment facilities, etc., and further enables such providers to reach patients with whom they may not otherwise come into contact. A patient may access the healthcare provider information through a search conducted using a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, etc. Alternatively, a patient may access the company Web site's predetermined Web page that provides search capabilities on its database. A patient may research a healthcare provider based on criteria specified by the patient. Information provided to the patient may be in the form of a report, profile, ratings, etc., including patient-provided information, physician-verified information, and information verified by an independent third party. The verified information and ratings provided by the Web site enable patients to differentiate among healthcare providers and thereby select the provider that best meets their individual needs.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for optimizing location of a search result on a search engine Web page comprising:
 providing one or more index entries having a first indexing parameter; and   providing one or more other indexing parameters associated with the first indexing parameter.   
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 organizing the one or more index entries into categories, wherein the categories are separated into subsets;   determining the number of search engine hits with the current category subsets;   adjusting the category subsets for testing purposes;   determining whether there are increased search engine hits based on the adjustment of the category subsets; and   if there are increased hits, then adjusting the subsets and saving the new subsets.   
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 16 , wherein the indexing parameters comprise one or more from the group consisting of: naming conventions, breaks in categories to create categorical subsets, and Web site path layouts designed to minimize the number of clicks to access desired information. 
     
     
         19 - 20 . (canceled)