Appointment setting and payment system and method

A system for securing an appointment with a healthcare provider, said system comprising:

• a database for storing said healthcare provider's appointment schedule and a patient's static information and current information;
• an input means for receiving said healthcare provider's appointment schedule and said patient's static information and current information;
• a recording means for storing said healthcare provider's appointment schedule and said patient's static information and current information in said database;
• a process means for said patient securing an appointment during a time period, said process means carry out the operations of:
• a) displaying said healthcare provider's appointment schedule to said patient;
• b) allowing said patient to designate said time period;
• c) facilitating an electronic transaction on behalf of said patient to provide for payment for said appointment;
• and
• d) updating said healthcare provider's appointment schedule such that said time period is no longer listed as available.

A method in a computer system for securing an appointment with a healthcare provider, the method comprising:

• receiving said healthcare provider's appointment schedule;
• storing said healthcare provider's appointment schedule in a database;
• receiving a patient's static information and said patient's current information;
• storing said patient's static information and said patient's current information in said database;
• processing said patient's choice of an appointment time period;
• facilitating an electronic transaction by said patient to secure said appointment;
• and
• updating said healthcare provider's appointment schedule.

In article of manufacture comprising:

• A computer useable medium have computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling a system for securing an appointment with a healthcare provider, said computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing receiving a patient's static information and said patient's current information;
• computer readable program code means for causing storing said patient's static information and said patient's current information in said database;
• computer readable program code means for causing processing said patient's choice of an appointment time period;
• computer readable program code means for facilitating an electronic transaction by said patient to secure said appointment;
• and
• computer readable program code means for updating said healthcare provider's appointment schedule.

A method of facilitating securing an appointment with a healthcare provider over a computer network comprising the steps of:

• receiving said healthcare provider's appointment schedule;
• storing said healthcare provider's appointment schedule in a database;
• receiving a patient's static information and said patient's current information;
• storing said patient's static information and said patient's current information in said database;
• processing said patient's choice of an appointment time period;
• facilitating an electronic transaction by said patient to secure said appointment;
• and
• updating said healthcare provider's appointment schedule.