Note: Changes to visit reason settings have been made for providers in the following specialties: Dentists, Dermatologists, OB-GYNs, Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Primary Care Physicians. Providers in all other specialties should see this article for more information on how to update your visit reason settings.
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Visit reasons are all the conditions, services, or procedures that you can receive bookings for on Zocdoc. Patients often search and find providers by visit reason, so keeping them accurate and up-to-date ensures you show up in the most relevant search results.
We regularly conduct research with medical consultants and providers to determine what visit reasons should be added to our database. On Zocdoc, these reasons are organized into categories for providers across the following specialties:
Dentists
Dermatologists
OB-GYNs
Ophthalmologists
Optometrists
Primary Care Physicians
How do I update my visit reason settings for live providers?
To update visit reasons for a provider who is currently live on Zocdoc, select the Providers tab, and then the provider’s name you want to update.
Tip: Make sure to follow these steps for each live provider in your practice to ensure that visit reasons are updated for all.
Scroll to Visit reasons in the provider’s page and click Edit.
On the next page, select the categories of visit reasons you want to accept. Selecting a category will opt you into all corresponding visit reasons within it. (Unchecking a category will opt you out of all corresponding visit reasons within it.)
You can also individually opt in or out of specific visit reasons within each category. Access the full list of visit reasons by selecting Settings on the right side of each category.
FYI: A category will be automatically selected if you have chosen at least one visit reason from within it, even if you haven't opted into all visit reasons under that category. We’ll give you a heads up if there's an opportunity to add more visit reasons within the category.
Commonly booked and frequently offered visit reasons within each category are highlighted in a grey box for convenient selection, as you can see right here.
In addition to reviewing the full list of visit reasons within each category, you can also use the Settings link on the right to adjust preferences for the types of appointments you accept, including in-person and/or video visits, or visits for new and/or existing patients. From these settings, you can also set visit lengths, which determine how much time is scheduled for each type of appointment.
Tip: If you prefer to have the same visit length for all selected visit reasons within the category, you can choose defaults at the top of the Settings page.
Once you’re done making updates, select Done at the bottom of the page. Our system will automatically add all updated visit reason settings to your profile.
How do I update my visit reason settings for future providers I add to Zocdoc?
To set visit reasons for any future providers you add to Zocdoc, go to Settings and select Visit reasons.
Changes made on this page will apply to any future providers that you add to Zocdoc.
To help providers get onboarded, we’ve pre-selected the most common conditions that are generally accepted by all providers in each specialty. The pre-selected list includes a mix of both full categories and individual visit reasons in other categories.
Specialty | Pre-selected Full categories | Pre-selected visit reasons in other categories |
Dentists | Common Dental Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Restorative Procedures” category have been preselected:
Routine Dental Exam
Bridge Crown Dentures
Filling
The following visit reasons in the “Cosmetic Procedures” category have been preselected: Teeth Whitening Veneer(s) |
Dermatologists
| Routine Skin Screenings and Exams Common Skin Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Hair Loss & Restoration Procedures” category have been preselected: Hair Loss
|
OB-GYNs
| Common Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Routine Gynecological Screenings and Exams” category have been preselected: Annual Pap Smear/ GYN Exam Well Women’s Exam
The following visit reasons in the “Imaging Services and Cancer Screenings” category have been preselected: Abnormal Pap Test Breast Examination
Cervical Cancer Evaluation
Uterine Cancer Evaluation
The following visit reasons in the “Prenatal Care Concerns” category have been preselected: Pregnancy Test |
Optometrists
| Routine Eye Exams
Common Eye Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Other Eye Exams” category have been preselected: First Time Contact Lens Exam
The following visit reasons in the “Vision Management Services” category have been preselected: Contact Lenses Eyeglasses |
Ophthalmologists
| Common Eye Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Routine Eye Exams” category have been preselected: Comprehensive Eye Exam Routine Eye Exam
The following visit reasons in the “Other Eye Exams” category have been preselected: Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exam |
Primary Care Doctors
| Acute Conditions
Chronic Conditions
| The following visit reasons in the “Routine Check-Ups” category have been preselected: Annual Physical
The following visit reasons in the “Bloodwork, Tests and Screenings” category have been preselected: Blood Pressure Testing
Blood Work
Cholesterol/ Lipids Checkup
The following visit reasons in the “Injury Care Services” category have been preselected: Bruise/ Contusion Cuts or Scrapes Sprain Wound Care |
You can make updates to these selections at any time by following these steps:
On the left, choose the specialty you want to update visit reason preferences for. Any preferences selected on this page will be applied to all future providers that you add to Zocdoc who are within the selected specialty.
Select the categories of visit reasons you want to accept. Selecting a category will opt you into all corresponding visit reasons within it. (Unchecking a category will opt you out of all corresponding visit reasons within it.)
Tip: Please be aware that a category will be marked selected as long as you have chosen at least one visit reason from within it, even if you haven't opted into all visit reasons under that category. We’ll give you a heads up if there's an opportunity to add more visit reasons within the category.
Select the Settings link on the right of each category to add or remove specific visit reasons from each and indicate preferences for the types of appointments you accept, including in-person and/or video visits, or new and/or existing patients. You can also adjust visit lengths to your preferences for each type of appointment.
Tip: If you prefer to have the same visit length for all selected visit reasons within the category, you can choose defaults at the top of the Settings page.
Click the Done button to save updates. Updates made on this page will only apply to any future providers you add to Zocdoc.
Tip: For the best results on Zocdoc, make sure your visit reason settings are comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date. See our best practices guide.