Patient directed integration of remotely stored medical information with a brokerage system

1. A method implemented by a computer system, comprising:

retrieving, from a plurality of data sources that are external to the computer system, electronic medical records of a consumer;

sending by a first computer a graphical user interface that displays:

controls for sharing one or more of the plurality of electronic medical records retrieved from the external data sources with providers of medical services, and

representations of the retrieved electronic medical records indicating names of the external data sources from which the electronic medical records are retrieved, with the controls in the graphical user interface juxtaposed to the representations of the electronic medical records that are retrieved from the external data sources, and

with selection of one of the controls selecting one or more of the retrieved electronic medical records to be shared with the providers of medical services;

receiving, from a second computer, a selection of at least one of the controls;

identifying a provider of medical services available for a real-time consultation with the consumer, with the provider of medical services identified as having one or more attributes requested by the consumer;

establishing a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer and a device used by the identified provider of medical services;

granting access to the identified provider to view the one or more retrieved electronic medical records that are associated with the selected at least one of the controls; and

transmitting, through the established real time communication channel to the device used by the identified provider of medical services, the one or more electronic medical records for which access was granted to the identified provider of medical services.

2. The computer-implemented of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from the second computer to download the retrieved electronic medical records.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating an identity of the consumer; and

identifying based on authenticating that the electronic medical records are associated with the consumer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprises:

aggregating the electronic medical records; and

sorting the records aggregated by types of health information;

receiving, from the device used by the consumer, one or more instructions that limit the types of health information to be displayed in the graphical user interface; and

filtering the records aggregated displayed in the graphical user interface based on the one or more instructions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

following completion of the real-time consultation:

sending a request to update one or more of the electronic medical records with information associated with the real-time consultation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the real-time communication channel comprises a real-time telephonic communication channel, the graphical user interface comprises a first portion for displaying a visual representation of the identified provider of medical services with whom the consumer is engaged in the real-time consultation, and

the graphical user interface further comprises a second portion for input of a telephone number to be used in establishing the real-time telephonic communication channel.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording in the first computer that the electronic medical records were received.

8. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage device, the computer program product comprising instructions to cause a processor of a computer system to:

retrieve, from a plurality of data sources that are external to the computer system, electronic medical records of a consumer;

send a graphical user interface that displays:

controls for sharing one or more of the plurality of electronic medical records retrieved from the external data sources with providers of medical services, and

representations of the retrieved electronic medical records indicating names of the external data sources from which the electronic medical records are retrieved, with the controls in the graphical user interface juxtaposed to the representations of the electronic medical records that are retrieved from the external data sources, and

with selection of one of the controls selecting one or more of the retrieved electronic medical records to be shared with the providers of medical services;

receive a selection of at least one of the controls;

identify a provider of medical services available for a real-time consultation with the consumer, with the provider of medical services identified as having one or more attributes requested by the consumer;

establish a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer and a device used by the identified provider of medical services;

grant access to the identified provider to view the one or more retrieved electronic medical records that are associated with the selected at least one of the controls; and

transmit, the one or more electronic medical records for which access was granted through the established real time communication channel to the device used by the identified provider of medical services.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a request to download the retrieved electronic medical records.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

authenticate an identity of the consumer; and

identify based on authenticating that the electronic medical records are associated with the consumer.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

aggregate the electronic medical records; and

sort the records aggregated by types of health information;

receive one or more instructions that limit the types of health information to be displayed in the graphical user interface; and

filter the records aggregated displayed in the graphical user interface based on the one or more instructions.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

following completion of the real-time consultation:

send a request to update one or more of the electronic medical records with information associated with the real-time consultation.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the real-time communication channel comprises a real-time telephonic communication channel, the graphical user interface comprises a first portion for displaying a visual representation of the identified provider of medical services with whom the consumer is engaged in the real-time consultation, and

the graphical user interface further comprises a second portion for input of a telephone number to be used in establishing the real-time telephonic communication channel.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

record-that the electronic medical records were received.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

retrieve, from a plurality of data sources that are external to the apparatus, electronic medical records of a consumer;

send a graphical user interface that displays:

controls for sharing one or more of the plurality of electronic medical records retrieved from the external data sources with providers of medical services, and

representations of the retrieved electronic medical records indicating names of the external data sources from which the electronic medical records are retrieved, with the controls in the graphical user interface juxtaposed to the representations of the electronic medical records that are retrieved from the external data sources, and

with selection of one of the controls selecting one or more of the retrieved electronic medical records to be shared with the providers of medical services;

receive a selection of at least one of the controls;

receive a selection of at least one of the controls;

identify-a provider of medical services available for a real-time consultation with the consumer, with the provider of medical services identified as having one or more attributes requested by the consumer;

establish a real-time communication channel between a device used by the consumer and a device used by the identified provider of medical services;

grant access to the identified provider to view the one or more retrieved electronic medical records that are associated with the selected at least one of the controls; and

transmit, through the established real time communication channel to the device used by the identified provider of medical services, the one or more electronic medical records for which access was granted to the identified provider of medical services.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a request to download the retrieved electronic medical records.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

authenticate an identity of the consumer; and

identify based on authenticating that the electronic medical records are associated with the consumer.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

aggregate the electronic medical records received; and

sort the records aggregated by types of health information;

receive one or more instructions that limit the types of health information to be displayed in the graphical user interface; and

filter the records aggregated displayed in the graphical user interface based on the one or more instructions.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

following completion of the real-time consultation:

send a request to update one or more of the electronic medical records with information associated with the real-time consultation.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the real-time communication channel comprises a real-time telephonic communication channel, the graphical user interface comprises a first portion for displaying a visual representation of the identified provider of medical services with whom the consumer is engaged in the real-time consultation, and

the graphical user interface further comprises a second portion for input of a telephone number to be used in establishing the real-time telephonic communication channel.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

record that the electronic medical records were received.