Jason Wylie Best

US Patent:

20040181428, Sep 16, 2004

Filed:

Mar 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/387041

Inventors:

Edward Fotsch - Sausalito CA, US
Deb DelGuidice - Sausalito CA, US
Todd Choy - San Francisco CA, US
Faisal Mushtaq - Pleasanton CA, US
Leslie Yuan - San Francisco CA, US
Jenna Daly - New York NY, US
Jason Best - San Francisco CA, US
Jessi Formoe - El Granada CA, US
Jason Wong - Redwood City CA, US

Assignee:

MEDEM, Inc.

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705/002000

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for supporting online consultations are disclosed. In order to submit an online consultation request, a user registers to receive online consultation services. During the preliminary registration process, an online messaging privileges request is transmitted to a healthcare provider requesting that online messaging privileges be granted to the user. During the registration process, the healthcare provider may choose to decline the online messaging privileges request (e.g., if the user is not a patient of the healthcare provider) or accept the online messaging privileges request, thereby enabling the user to send online messages to and receive online messages from the healthcare provider via the Internet. Upon successful completion of the registration process, the user submits an online consultation request message via the Internet indicating that medical information and/or medical advice are requested from a healthcare provider. The healthcare provider may then choose to decline the online consultation request message or to accept the online consultation request message from the user by sending an online consultation reply message to the user.