Platform for connecting medical information to services for medical care

Abstract

A user device for connecting symptom, disease, procedure, and facility based information into actionable services for medical care and cost analysis is presented. The user device may include the functionality of linking medical information and providing user specific information. The user-specific information allows the user to make an informed decision about medical treatment. The user device may further be operative to tailor information in light of user characteristics such as location or healthcare network membership.

1 .- 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         76 . A method of providing medical information to a user of a computer-based system, the method comprising:
 identifying, at a computer-based system, a plurality of medical providers from a provider database, wherein the provider database includes information about a plurality of provider-types to which corresponding ones of the plurality of medical providers are associated;   determining, using said computer-based system, an indication of appropriateness for at least one on said plurality of provider-types to treat at least one of a symptom or a condition, wherein the indication is either positive to indicate that the provider-type corresponds to appropriate medical providers equipped to treat said symptom or said condition, or negative to indicate that the provider-type corresponds to non-appropriate medical providers not equipped to treat said symptom or said condition;   presenting to a user with a user interface of said computer-based system a provider-type selection screen comprising a list of provider-types, at least one of which being designated with the determined indication of appropriateness;   receiving, by said computer-based system, a user selection of a selected provider-type from said list of provider-types; and   displaying to said user with said user interface of said computer-based system information regarding said plurality of medical providers that are associated with said selected provider-type.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , further comprising:
 obtaining, at said computer-based system, healthcare network information regarding a healthcare network to which said user belongs;
 wherein said identifying is at least partially based on at least said healthcare network information. 
   
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein said obtaining comprises obtaining, at said system, said healthcare network information from the user. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein said obtaining comprises determining, using said system, said healthcare network information based on a network accessed by said user. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein said obtaining comprises inferring, using said system, said healthcare network information based on user information provided by said user. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 76 , further comprising:
 receiving, at said computer-based system, information regarding said at least one of said symptom or said condition from said user.   
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 76 , further comprising,
 acquiring, at said computer-based system, information regarding a location of said user;
 wherein said identifying is at least partially based on at least said location of said user. 
   
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises location information regarding said medical provider in relation to said location of said user. 
     
     
         84 . The method of providing medical information of  claim 82 , wherein said acquiring comprises receiving, at said system, information regarding a location of said user from said user. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein said acquiring comprises detecting, at said system, said location of said user. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 85 , wherein said detecting comprises utilizing a GPS receiver to determine the location of said user. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises a link to a website. 
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises a cost estimate associated with a treatment of said condition. 
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises information regarding a cost specialist to assist in determining proper costs regarding a treatment of said condition. 
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises quality reports regarding said medical provider. 
     
     
         91 . A computer-based processing system for providing medical information, the system comprising:
 a processor, in operative communication with a provider database including information about a plurality of medical providers, wherein the provider database includes information about a plurality of provider-types to which corresponding ones of the plurality of medical providers are associated, wherein said processor is configured to determine an indication of appropriateness for at least one of said provider-types to treat a condition, wherein the indication is either positive to indicate that the provider-type corresponds to appropriate medical providers equipped to treat said condition, or negative to indicate that the provider-type corresponds to non-appropriate medical providers not equipped to treat said condition;   a user interface, controlled by said processor, configured to present a provider-type selection screen comprising a list of provider-types at last one of which is designated with the determined indication of appropriateness, wherein said user interface is configured to receive a user selection of a provider-type from said list of provider-type and to display information regarding said plurality of medical providers that are associated with said selected provider-type.   
     
     
         92 . The system of  claim 91 , further comprising:
 a location determination module operative to interpret location information regarding a user and utilize said location information to provide a user location;
 wherein said processor is further operative to display said information at least partially based on said user location. 
   
     
     
         93 . The system of  claim 92 , wherein said information regarding said medical provider comprises location information regarding said medical provider in relation to said location of said user. 
     
     
         94 . The system  claim 93 , wherein said location determination module comprises a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         95 . A method for providing medical information to a user of a computer-based system, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer-based processing system, information regarding a symptom from a user;   identifying, at said computer-based system, a plurality of medical providers from a provider database, wherein the provider database includes information about a plurality of provider-types to which corresponding ones of the plurality of medical providers are associated;   determining, by said system, an indication of appropriateness for at least one provider-type to treat said symptom based on a severity level each medical provider is equipped to treat, wherein the indication is either positive to indicate that the provider-type is appropriate when the medical provider is equipped to treat said severity level, or negative to indicate that the provider-type is not appropriate when the medical provider is not equipped to treat said severity level; and   presenting to said user with a user interface of said computer-based system the determined indication of appropriateness for the at least one provider-type.