Connecting Consumers with Service Providers

Abstract

A request is received from a consumer of services to consult with a service provider having a service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes in a set of attributes that define a suitable service provider; an available service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes is identified; and a communication channel is provided to establish a communication between the consumer of services and the identified service provider.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented method comprises:
 accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, with the information including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;   receiving, in a computer, indications that members of a pool of medical service providers have become presently available;   receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;   identifying in the computer, an available member of the pool;   establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified member of the pool; and   causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 storing in a data repository information indicative of the consultation.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 storing in a data repository information collected during the consultation.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 causing a determination of insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the identified member of the pools comprises a first medical service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a second medical service provider associated with the consumer.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 prior to establishment of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer   
     
     
         29 . A computer-implemented method comprises:
 accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;   receiving in a computer, indications that members of a pool of medical service providers have become presently available;   receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;   identifying in the computer, an available member of the pool;   establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified member of the pool;   storing in a data repository information collected over the real-time communication channel.   
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the identified member of the pools comprises a first medical service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a second medical service provider associated with the consumer.   
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the real-time communication channel comprises one or more of a telephonic communication channel and a text-based communication channel. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 prior to establishment of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 causing a verification of insurance for the consumer.   
     
     
         34 . A computer implemented method comprises:
 receiving in a computer, a request from a patient for an on-demand, real-time consultation with a physician;   accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to physicians, including present availability of the physicians for participating in a consultation;   determining in the computer, which of the physicians are presently available;   identifying in the computer, at least one available physician with whom the patient should consult;   receiving a selection from the patient of one of the identified physicians;   activating a real-time communication channel between a device associated with the patient and a device associated with the selected physician; and   causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.   
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 storing in a data repository information indicative of the consultation.   
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 causing a determination of insurance coverage for the consultation, with the insurance coverage being associated with a health insurance plan of the consumer.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 transmitting information indicative of the consultation to a medical service provider that differs from the selected physician.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 prior to activation of the real-time communication channel, accessing in a data repository medical information for the consumer   
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 storing in a data repository information indicative of one or more symptoms of the patient that are addressed during the consultation.   
     
     
         40 . A computer-implemented method comprises:
 accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, with the information including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation;   determining, in a computer based on the accessed information, indications regarding availability of one or more medical service providers;   receiving in the computer, a request from a consumer of services to consult with a medical service provider;   identifying in the computer, an available medical service provider;   establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer of services and a device used by the identified medical service provider; and   causing a processing of an insurance payment for the consultation.   
     
     
         41 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein the indications regarding availability comprise one or more of an indication of presently available, an indication of online, an indication of idle, and an indication of busy. 
     
     
         42 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein the identified medical service provider is unavailable for the consultation at a first time and becomes available for the consultation at a second time.