Bridged patient / provider centric method and system

1. A key organization method comprising:

receiving, by a key organization system operable on a computer processor, a first access key that grants, to a medical service provider, a patient-defined level of access to a first set of medical records;

receiving, by said key organization system, a second access key that grants, to said medical service provider, a patient-defined level of access to a second set of medical records;

storing the first and second access keys in a centralized key repository that is communicativalely accessible by said key organization system; and

associating, by said key organization system, said first and second access keys with said medical service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first access key is generated by a first patient, and the first set of medical records concern the first patient.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second access key is generated by a second patient, and the second set of medical records concern the second patient.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling, by said key organization system, said medical service provider's access to the first set of medical records by allowing said medical service provider to select, from a list of patients for whom access keys are associated with said medical service provider, a corresponding patient to whom the first set of medical records pertains.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising controlling, by said key organization system, said medical service provider's access to the second set of medical records by allowing said medical service provider to select, from said list of patients, a corresponding patient to whom the second set of medical records pertains.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein accessing the first set of medical records does not require said medical service provider to pass a second security test.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the first and second medical records on a centralized medical record repository.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the centralized medical record repository and centralized key repository reside on and are executed by a remote server connected to a distributed computing network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the remote server is a web server; and

the distributed computing network is the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the first access key provides access to one or more portions of the first set of medical records.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the second access key provides access to one or more portions of the second set of medical records.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

granting said medical service provider secure access to said key organization system, wherein said access allows said medical service provider to select a patient from a group of patients associated with said medical service provider.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, by said key organization system, said selection, wherein said selection is a request to access said first set of medical records;

retrieving from said centralized key repository, by said key organization system in response to said selection, said first access key; and

using, by said key organization system, said first access key to control said medical services provider's access to said first set of medical records.

14. A key distribution method comprising:

receiving, by the key organization system from a first patient using a client computer, a first access key that grants, to a medical service provider, a patient-defined level of access to a first set of medical records;

receiving, by the key organization system from a second patient using a second client computer, a second access key that grants, to said medical service provider, a patient-defined level of access to a second set of medical records; and

associating, by said key organization system, said first and second access keys to said medical service provider;

storing, by said key organization system, the first and second access keys and said association in a centralized key repository; and

receiving, by said key organization system, a request from said medical service provider to access said first or second set of medical records and, responsive to said request, controlling access to said requested set of medical records using said first or second access key, wherein input of said first or second access key from said medical service provider is not required by said key organization system.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling, by said key organization system, said medical service provider's access to the first set of medical records by receiving input from said medical service provider for selecting, from a list of patients for whom access keys are associated with said medical service provider, a corresponding patient to whom the first set of medical records pertains.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling, by said key organization system, said medical service provider's access to the second set of medical records by receiving input from said medical service provider for selecting, from a list of patients for whom access keys are associated with said medical service provider, a corresponding patient to whom the second set of medical records pertains.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing the first and second medical records on a centralized medical record repository.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the centralized medical record repository and centralized key repository reside on and are accessible through said key organization system connected to a distributed computing network.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the first set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the first access key provides access to one or more portions of the first set of medical records.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the second set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the second access key provides access to one or more portions of the second set of medical records.

21. A key organization method comprising:

maintaining, on a remote server, a centralized key repository and a centralized medical record repository;

storing a plurality of patient medical records on the centralized medical record repository, wherein said plurality of patient medical records comprise at least of a first set of medical records containing medical information pertaining a first patient and a second set of medical records containing medical information pertaining a second patient;

storing, in said centralized key repository, a plurality of access keys that each grant patient-defined access rights to a corresponding patient's set of medical records; and

responsive to a request received from a medical service provider to access one of said sets of medical records, retrieving, by a key organization system, from said centralized key repository a determined one of said access keys that is associated with said medical service provider and which corresponds to said requested set of medical records, and controlling, by said key organization system, access by said medical service provider to said requested set of medical records using the retrieved access key.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving from said first patient, a first access key, of said plurality of access keys, that grants to said medical service provider a patient-defined level of access to the first set of medical records; and

receiving, from said second patient, a second access key, of said plurality of access keys, that grants to said medical service provider a patient-defined level of access to the second set of medical records.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising storing, by said key organization system, the first and second access keys in the centralized key repository.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising accessing, by said key organization system, the first set of medical records using the first access key.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising accessing, by said key organization system, the second set of medical records using the second access key.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the centralized medical record repository and centralized key repository reside on a remote server connected to a distributed computing network and are communicatively coupled to said key organization system.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein:

the remote server is a web server; and

the distributed computing network is the Internet.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the first set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the first access key provides access to one or more portions of the first set of medical records.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the second set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the second access key provides access to one or more portions of the second set of medical records.

30. A key organization system comprising:

a server system including a computer processor and associated memory, the server system having a centralized key repository and a centralized medical record repository;

wherein the server system is configured to:

store a first set of medical records and a second set of medical records on the centralized medical record repository;

receive a first access key associated with a medical service provider that grants to said medical service provider a patient-defined level of access to the first set of medical records;

receive a second access key associated with said medical service provider that grants to said medical service provider a patient-defined level of access to the second set of medical records; and

store the first access key and the second access key on the centralized key repository; and

wherein the key organization system is configured to, responsive to receipt of a request from the medical service provider to access one of said first and second set of medical records, retrieve a determined one of the first and second access keys from the centralized key repository and use the retrieved access key to control access by said medical service provider to said requested set of medical records.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a client system including a computer processor and associated memory, the client system being configured to:

communicate said request from said medical service provider to said key organization system via a communication network.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the server system and the client system are coupled via a distributed computing network.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the distributed computing network is the Internet.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the first set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the first access key provides access to one or more portions of the first set of medical records.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the second set of medical records is a multi-portion medical record and the second access key provides access to one or more portions of the second set of medical records.

36. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause a key organization system to:

receive, at said key organization system, a first access key that grants to a first medical service provider a first patient-defined level of access to a first set of medical records of a corresponding patient;

receive, at said key organization system, a second access key that grants to a second medical service provider a second patient-defined level of access to said first set of medical records of said corresponding patient;

store the first and second access keys in a centralized key repository; and

responsive to a request received from one of said first and second medical service providers to access said first set of medical records, retrieve from said centralized key repository a determined one of said access keys that is associated with said requesting medical service provider, and using the retrieved access key to grant to the requesting medical service provider the corresponding patient-defined level of access to said first set of medical records.

37. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause a key organization system to:

receive, from a patient at a key organization system, a first access key associated with a first medical service provider that grants to said first medical service provider a first patient-defined level of access to a first set of medical records;

receive, from said patient at said key organization system, a second access key associated with a second medical service provider that grants to said second medical service provider a second patient-defined level of access to said first set of medical records;

store the first and second access keys in a centralized key repository;

receive a request from said first medical service provider to access said first set of medical records; and

retrieve, responsive to said request, said first access key from said centralized key repository to provide said first medical service provider with access to said first set of medical records wherein input of said first access key from said first medical service provider is not required by said key organization system.

38. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium that is communicatively coupled to a server having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of the server cause a key organization system to:

store a plurality of patient-associated medical records on a centralized medical record repository, wherein said plurality of patient-associated medical records comprise at least of a first set of medical records associated with a first patient and a second set of medical records associated with a second patient;

store a provider-associated access keys on a centralized key repository wherein said plurality of provider-associated access keys comprise a first access key that grants a patient-defined level of access to the first set of medical records and a second access key that grants a patient-defined level of access to the second set of medical records;

responsive to a received request from a provider to access one of said first and second sets of medical records, retrieve from said centralized key repository a respective one of said first and second access keys that grants the requesting provider a patient-defined level of access to the requested one of said first and second sets of medical records; and

use said retrieved access key to grant said requesting provider the corresponding patient-defined level of access to the requested one of said first and second sets of medical records.

39. The method of claim 12 wherein said secure access is granted after said medical service provider passes a security test issued by said key organization system.