This guidance is intended to address any communication from a practice to the patient after the patient books an appointment on Zocdoc. This includes custom messaging the client adds within Zocdoc, as well as any direct communication from the practice to the patient. These pre-appointment communication guidelines are all based on Zocdoc’s Best Practices and Community Standards.
Keep messages short, direct, and easy to understand.
All messages should reinforce that appointments made through Zocdoc will be honored as scheduled. Always review the appointment details and information submitted by the patient. You should reach out to the patient on a case by case basis should you need additional information prior to the appointment. Appointments should only be modified if you've taken these steps.
Communications should be consistent from both Zocdoc and the Provider. If the appointment times, the specific provider seen, or other information regarding the appointment are different from what Zocdoc communicates to the patient this can cause patient confusion. If details pertaining to the appointment change, you must update those on the Zocdoc platform prior to additional patient communications.
Never instruct a patient to modify their Zocdoc appointment in a way that does not reflect the true status between patient and practice.
Use all of Zocdoc’s communication tools first. Patients are already looking out for messages from the platform. After leveraging our communication tools, if the patient needs to provide more information or there are additional questions for the patient, use all available channels to get the necessary information for a successful appointment. Learn more about how to contact patients on Zocdoc.
Provide adequate and timely support to patients that reach out to the practice regarding their upcoming appointment.
Other than video visit links, any references or links to external tools, portals, or services should not invalidate the patient's appointment or prevent the appointment from being honored as scheduled.
If you need to communicate with patients on another platform, you must ensure that patients can navigate on or within that platform and provide support if they need help.
If patients are frequently surprised about a practice policy or procedure, consider adding that to the “About” section of provider profiles and communicate it proactively post-booking.