Tracking the availability of service providers across multiple platforms

1. A computer-implemented method comprises:

tracking by one or more computers a status of a medical service provider's present availability for a real-time consultation with a consumer of medical services;

identifying by the one or more computers a status change in the medical service provider's present availability;

determining by the one or more computers a list of health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider; and

sending a message to one or more computer systems associated with the health insurance networks included in the list to update, based on the identified status change, the medical service provider's status in each of the health insurance networks.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the status of the medical service provider is available, logging the medical service provider into the health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking comprises:

using one or more central computer-based availability tracking systems to determine the medical service provider's status.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering the medical service provider and the medical service provider's status with a central computer-based availability tracking system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises:

receiving data indicating that the medical service provider's status on a central computer-based availability tracking system has changed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the actions of tracking, identifying and sending are executed in response to:

receiving a request from the consumer of medical services using a brokerage system to consult with a medical service provider having a medical service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes associated with medical qualifications in a set of attributes that define a suitable medical service provider; and

identifying an available medical service provider associated with the brokerage system that has a medical service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

coordinating the medical service provider's status across one or more health insurance networks.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pooling the status of one or more medical service providers in a central computer-based availability tracking system.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

track a status of a medical service provider's present availability for a real-time consultation with a consumer of medical services;

identify a status change in the medical service provider's present availability;

determine a list of health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider; and

send a message to one or more computer systems associated with the health insurance networks included in the list to update, based on the identified status change, the medical service provider's status in each of the health insurance networks.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

when the status of the medical service provider is available, log the medical service provider into the health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to track comprise instructions to:

use one or more central computer-based availability tracking systems to determine the medical service provider's status.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

register the medical service provider and the medical service provider's status with a central computer-based availability tracking system.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to identify comprise instructions to:

receive data indicating that the medical service provider's status on a central computer-based availability tracking system has changed.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the instructions to track, identify and send are executed in response to instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer of medical services using a brokerage system to consult with a medical service provider having a medical service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes associated with medical qualifications in a set of attributes that define a suitable medical service provider; and

identify an available medical service provider associated with the brokerage system that has a medical service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

coordinate the medical service provider's status across one or more health insurance networks.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to:

pool the status of one or more medical service providers in a central computer-based availability tracking system.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

track a status of a medical service provider's present availability for a real-time consultation with a consumer of medical services;

identify a status change in the medical service provider's present availability;

determine a list of health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider; and

send a message to one or more computer systems associated with the health insurance networks included in the list to update, based on the identified status change, the medical service provider's status in each of the health insurance networks.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , the computer product further comprising instructions to:

when the status of the medical service provider is available, log the medical service provider into the health insurance networks associated with the medical service provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instructions to track comprise instructions to:

use one or more central computer-based availability tracking systems to determine the medical service provider's status.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , the computer product further comprising instructions to:

register the medical service provider and the medical service provider's status with a central computer-based availability tracking system.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instruction to identify comprise instructions to:

receive data indicating that the medical service provider's status on a central computer-based availability tracking system has changed.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the instructions to track, identify and send are executed in response to instructions to:

receive a request from the consumer of medical services using a brokerage system to consult with a medical service provider having a medical service provider profile that satisfies at least some attributes associated with medical qualifications in a set of attributes that define a suitable medical service provider; and

identify an available medical service provider associated with the brokerage system that has a medical service provider profile satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , the computer product further comprising instructions to:

coordinate the medical service provider's status across one or more health insurance networks.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 , the computer product further comprising instructions to:

pool the status of one or more medical service providers in a central computer-based availability tracking system.