SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PEER REFERENCING IN AN ONLINE COMPUTER SYSTEM
A system and method for connecting healthcare providers via an online portal to allow the providers to generate a network of peers for facilitating the providing and obtaining of peer references. A rules engine applies rules and logic to aggregated credentials and relationship data of the registered providers to identify users of the system who are qualified to provide a peer referral for a particular provider. A peer in a provider's network may provide a peer reference needed by the provider to access certain medical privileges. The peer reference data may be provided as answers to a structured questionnaire. The answers may then be used to automatically populate a specific peer referral form.
1 . A computer-implemented method for generating a network of peers for obtaining peer references, the method comprising:
receiving profile information for a particular healthcare provider;
storing the profile information in a data storage device;
automatically identifying, by a computer device, one or more other healthcare providers who are qualified to provide a peer referral for the particular healthcare provider, wherein the automatically identifying includes automatically comparing, by the computer device, the profile information of the particular healthcare provider with profile information of other healthcare providers in the data storage device for determining whether one or more qualification criteria have been satisfied; and
including the identified healthcare providers in a peer network for the particular healthcare provider for transmitting a request for peer referral to one or more of the identified healthcare providers.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting an invitation to the identified healthcare providers to join the peer network for the particular healthcare provider.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for peer referral includes a link to a peer referral input form.
4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising:
receiving peer referral information entered in the peer referral input form; and
storing the peer referral information in the data storage device.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein fields of the peer referral input form are mapped to objects of a common object model, and the storing the peer referral information includes populating the objects of the common object model with the peer referral information.
6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
identifying a peer referral form;
automatically populating fields of the peer referral form based on the peer referral information stored in the common object model.
7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining a list of the identified healthcare providers; and
updating the list in response to a monitored event.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the monitored event is change of profile information of the particular healthcare provider or the other healthcare providers.
9 . A data processing apparatus adapted for generating a network of peers for obtaining peer references, comprising:
a data storage device;
a processor; and
a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
receiving profile information for a particular healthcare provider;
storing the profile information in the data storage device;
automatically identifying one or more other healthcare providers who are qualified to provide a peer referral for the particular healthcare provider, wherein the automatically identifying includes automatically comparing the profile information of the particular healthcare provider with profile information of other healthcare providers in the data storage device for determining whether one or more qualification criteria have been satisfied; and
including the identified healthcare providers in a peer network for the particular healthcare provider for transmitting a request for peer referral to one or more of the identified healthcare providers.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further include:
transmitting an invitation to the identified healthcare providers to join the peer network for the particular healthcare provider.
11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the request for peer referral includes a link to a peer referral input form.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions further include:
receiving peer referral information entered in the peer referral input form; and
storing the peer referral information in the data storage device.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein fields of the peer referral input form are mapped to objects of a common object model, and the program instructions for storing the peer referral information includes program instructions for populating the objects of the common object model with the peer referral information.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions further include:
identifying a peer referral form; and
automatically populating fields of the peer referral form based on the peer referral information stored in the common object model.
15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions further include:
maintaining a list of the identified healthcare providers; and
updating the list in response to a monitored event.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the monitored event is change of profile information of the particular healthcare provider or the other healthcare providers.