Device and System Tailored to Provide Healthcare Content, Information, and Communication

Abstract

The application is directed to a method and system for improving communication between a client and health care provider via an electronic device. The method includes the steps of displaying a communication from a health care provider on a display of the device. Next it is determined whether the communication was received by a predetermined health care provider. Further, a predetermined deduction rate is applied to the received communication on the device from the predetermined health care provider.

1 . A method for improving user access to health services with a wireless device comprising:
 implementing a wireless service metering device in a wireless network, the wireless service metering device comprising a metering server implemented in a mobile virtual network operator cloud configured to determine communications transmitted between a wireless device and a health care provider communication system;   determining with the wireless service metering device that a wireless communication was received from the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication;   inserting with the wireless service metering device an identifier in the wireless communication received from the health care provider communication system when it is determined that the wireless communication was received from the health care provider communication system based on the address of the wireless communication;   applying with the wireless service metering device a predetermined deduction rate to a wireless service utilized for the received communication from the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication;   transmitting a wireless communication to a health care provider communication system over the wireless network from the wireless device;   determining with the wireless service metering device that the wireless communication to the health care provider communication system was transmitted from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication;   inserting with the wireless service metering device an identifier in the wireless communication transmitted to the health care provider communication system; and   applying with the wireless service metering device another predetermined deduction rate to the wireless communication from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication;   wherein the wireless communication comprises at least one of the following: a voice call communication, a SMS message communication, an e-mail message communication, and a pop-up chat communication; and   wherein the wireless device includes a processor, a memory, a display, a user interface, and a transceiver, the wireless device being configured to receive and send wireless communications over a wireless network;   wherein the wireless device is configured to receive a wireless communication from the health care provider communication system over the wireless network with the transceiver of the wireless device; and   wherein the display of the wireless device is configured to display to a user the wireless communication from the health care provider communication system.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising provisioning the wireless device and a wireless service for the wireless device under a Lifeline program,
 wherein the wireless service metering device comprises the metering server implemented in the mobile virtual network operator cloud configured to determine communications transmitted between the wireless device and the health care provider communication system.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the deduction rate calculated by the wireless service metering device is less than 50% of standard airtime rates; and   wherein the wireless service metering device deducts an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the deduction rate calculated by the wireless service metering device is 0%; and   wherein the wireless service metering device calculates no deduction from an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a health provider service application for the wireless device;   wherein the processor of the wireless device is configured to execute the health provider service application;   wherein the health provider service application encrypts wireless communications to a health care provider communication system; and   wherein the health provider service application decrypts wireless communications from a health care provider communication system.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a web-accessible health care provider service application to the wireless device;   wherein the processor of the wireless device is configured to execute the health provider service application;   wherein the health provider service application is configured to communicate consistent with HIPAA Privacy Rules to regulate a use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI); and   wherein the health provider service application is configured to implement at least the following: a calendar feature for upcoming appointments, an account balance section, a summary of services section, and a portal configured to communicate text in real-time to an online health provider.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the deduction rate calculated by the wireless service metering device of the health care provider application is 0%; and   wherein the wireless service metering device calculates no deduction from an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a web-accessible health care provider service application to the wireless device,   wherein the web-accessible health care provider service application stores health care provider account information in a secure folder located on the wireless device; and   wherein the storing of the health care provider account information is stored consistent with HIPAA Privacy Rules to regulate a use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising implementing the wireless service and the wireless service metering device such that the wireless device operates as a pre-paid phone utilizing wireless services based on a prepaid wireless service account. 
     
     
         10 . A system for improving communication between a user and a health care provider with a wireless device comprising:
 a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon to provide communication between a user and a health care provider through a health care provider communication system;   a wireless service metering device configured to be implemented in a wireless network, the wireless service metering device comprising a metering server implemented in a mobile virtual network operator cloud configured to determine communications transmitted between the wireless device and the health care provider communication system;   the wireless service metering device being configured to perform the instructions including determining that the wireless communication was received from the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication and inserting an identifier in the wireless communication received from the health care provider communication system;   the wireless service metering device configured to apply a predetermined deduction rate to the received communication from the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication;   the wireless service metering device is further configured to determine a communication was transmitted from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication and inserting an identifier in the wireless communication transmitted to the health care provider communication system; and   the wireless service metering device is configured to apply another predetermined deduction rate to the transmitted communication from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication,   wherein the wireless device includes a processor, a memory, a display, a user interface, and a transceiver, the wireless device being configured to receive and send wireless communications over a wireless network;   wherein the wireless device configured to receive a wireless communication from a health care provider communication system over the wireless network with the transceiver of the wireless device;   wherein the display configured to display to a user the wireless communication from the health care provider communication system; and   wherein the wireless device configured to transmit a wireless communication to a health care provider communication system over the wireless network with the transceiver of the wireless device in response to input from the user.   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the wireless device comprises one of the following: a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal digital assistant; and   wherein the wireless service metering device deducts an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the smartphone is a pre-paid phone with wireless network services provided by a mobile virtual network operator; and   wherein the wireless device and a wireless service for the wireless device is provisioned under a Lifeline program.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the processor of the wireless device is configured to execute a web-accessible health provider service application;   wherein the web-accessible health provider service application is configured to communicate consistent with HIPAA Privacy Rules to regulate a use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI); and   wherein the web-accessible health provider service application is configured to implement at least one of the following: a calendar feature for upcoming appointments, an account balance section, a summary of services section, and a portal configured to communicate text in real-time to an online health provider.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the wireless service metering device is configured to deduct less than 50% of standard airtime rates for the wireless communication; and   wherein the wireless service metering device deducts an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the wireless service metering device is configured to deduct 0%; and   wherein the wireless service metering device calculates no deduction from an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein a memory of the wireless device is configured to store health care provider account information consistent with HIPAA Privacy Rules to regulate a use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer program product embodying instructions to execute a method for improving user access to health services with a wireless device, the non-transitory computer program product being executed on at least one processor and having instructions comprising:
 transmitting with a wireless network a communication from a health care provider communication system to a wireless device;   determining with a wireless service metering device that the wireless communication was received from the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication, the wireless service metering device comprising a metering server implemented in a mobile virtual network operator cloud configured to determine communications transmitted between the wireless device and the health care provider communication system;   inserting with the wireless service metering device an identifier in the wireless communication received from the health care provider communication system;   applying with the wireless service metering device a predetermined deduction rate to a wireless service utilized for the received communication from the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication;   transmitting with a wireless network a communication to a health care provider communication system from the wireless device in response to input from the user;   determining with the wireless service metering device that a communication was transmitted from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on an address of the wireless communication;   inserting with the wireless service metering device an identifier in the wireless communication transmitted to the health care provider communication system; and   applying with the wireless service metering device another predetermined deduction rate to the wireless communication from the wireless device to the health care provider communication system based on the identifier in the wireless communication,   wherein the wireless communication comprises at least one of the following: a voice call communication, a SMS message communication, an e-mail message communication, and a pop-up chat communication.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer program product to  claim 17 , wherein the wireless device and a wireless service for the wireless device are provisioned under a lifeline program. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer program product to  claim 17 , wherein the deduction rate calculated by the wireless service metering device is 0%; and wherein the wireless service metering device calculates no deduction from an amount of wireless service utilized for the wireless communication from an available amount of wireless service based on the deduction rate. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer program product to  claim 17 , wherein the wireless device, the wireless service, and the wireless service metering device are configured such that the wireless device operates as a pre-paid phone utilizing wireless services based on a prepaid wireless service account.