Patent ID: 7590550

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprises: receiving in a computer, a request from a consumer of services 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; accessing a data repository that stores information pertaining to medical service providers, including present availability of the medical service providers for participating in a consultation; determining in the computer, which of the medical service providers are presently available; identifying in the computer, medical service providers satisfying at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes that define suitable medical service providers; producing a set of available medical service providers that satisfy at least some of the attributes in the set of attributes to send to the consumer of services; receiving a selection from the consumer of one of the medical service providers from the set of available medical service providers; establishing an immediate, real-time communication channel between the consumer of services and the selected medical service provider; identifying second available medical service providers of a second type of service provider satisfying at least some of the attributes associated with the medical specialty in the set of attributes; receiving a selection from the consumer of one of the second available medical service providers; and establishing a second immediate, real-time communication channel between the consumer of services and the second selected medical service provider, with the real-time communication channel and the second real-time communication channel being established concurrently or consecutively.