Patient Choice qualification criteria reflect what patients value most: high ratings, reliability, and a great overall experience. Qualification is reviewed quarterly for each individual provider using the following criteria:
Average rating: 4.6 or higher. This is calculated quarterly, averaging all of a provider's Zocdoc patient reviews.
Cancellation rate: Less than 30% total. This includes patient and provider cancellations.
Calendar Integration: Providers must be using a read and write Calendar Integration.
Booking minimum: At least 5 bookings per provider, per quarter.
Review minimum: At least 5 total Zocdoc patient reviews. This is a lifetime minimum. Once you have 5 Zocdoc patient reviews, you’ve met this criteria.
Additionally, providers will not qualify if they work at a practice that has recently been in remediation with Zocdoc’s Trust and Safety team.
How often do I need to qualify?
Qualification for the Patient Choice badge is evaluated every quarter, based on the prior quarter’s performance metrics. For example, to earn the badge for July through September, Zocdoc will assess your metrics from April through June.
If you continue to meet the criteria, your profile will remain eligible to show the badge. If your performance changes, you may gain or lose the badge the next quarter. This ensures the program rewards consistent excellence.
What can I do to improve my chances of qualifying?
Check out these tips for achieving the Patient Choice criteria.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I qualified for the Patient Choice badge?
The Patient Choice dashboard shows current badge status for all providers at your practice. Qualifying providers will also see the Patient Choice badge on their provider profiles and in search.
Why do some providers at my practice qualify, but others don’t?
Qualification is calculated for each individual provider, so within the same practice, some providers may qualify and others may not.
Why is cancellation rate included as a criteria?
Patients expect their appointments to happen as scheduled. Keeping your total cancellation rate below 30% demonstrates reliability and helps meet that expectation. This includes both patient- and provider-initiated cancellations.
What’s a read and write integration—and why is it required?
This type of Calendar Integration automatically updates Zocdoc with appointment and cancellation information from your EHR, ensuring accuracy in the metrics used for qualification.
Which bookings count toward the Patient Choice criteria?
Bookings made through the Zocdoc Marketplace, your Google Business Profile, your Book Online Button, Branded Directory, and the Care Access Network all count toward the booking minimum.
What if I don’t have enough reviews or bookings?
The program requires a minimum of 5 total Zocdoc patient reviews and 5 bookings per provider per quarter to ensure there’s enough data to reflect a consistent experience. If you’re new to Zocdoc, focus on optimizing your profile to generate bookings and encouraging patients who book through Zocdoc to submit reviews.
Which reviews count toward the review minimum?
To qualify for the Patient Choice program, you must have at least 5 reviews from patients who booked with you through Zocdoc, whether through the Zocdoc Marketplace, your Google Business Profile, or your Book Online Button.
Why don’t reviews collected from non-Zocdoc bookings count toward qualification?
Zocdoc patient reviews reflect the experience you deliver to patients booking on Zocdoc. That said, it’s still important to request reviews from existing patients, especially if you’re new to Zocdoc. These reviews build out your profile, which can help you get bookings and in turn, get Zocdoc patient reviews that help you qualify for the Patient Choice program.
Will the program criteria ever change?
As our platform improves and we continue to learn what drives exceptional patient experiences, it’s possible the qualification criteria may evolve in the future. We’ll always aim to keep the criteria fair—and we’ll communicate any changes in advance so you have time to adapt.