Today, we shared a series of improvements we are working towards, including some in-progress, that will help Zocdoc work even better for providers. Below, please see the letter Zocdoc founder and CEO, Oliver Kharraz, M.D., sent to all participating providers about these improvements.
To our healthcare providers:
Since Zocdoc’s founding in 2007, we’ve worked to help patients more easily access care and to help providers reach new patients to grow their practices. While we have made significant strides to empower patients, there is more we can do to make Zocdoc work better for you, the providers who make our marketplace possible.
We have heard your feedback, and in 2022 and beyond, we are making improvements to Zocdoc in the areas providers have told us matter most: getting more bookings from committed patients, who they can treat, and efficiently receiving the essential patient information they need for the appointment. Some of these changes will be fast, and others are more complex and will take time. I am sharing what we are working towards, including some in-progress improvements.
Increasing patient commitment
We are introducing new ways to more deeply engage patients from the time they book their appointment to the time you see them. This will help reduce cancellations and no-shows while maximizing your available appointment time.
To start, we are improving reminders to ensure that appointments remain top of mind for patients. We’re introducing more explicit messaging to patients about our cancellation and no-show policy and highlighting the negative impact to your practice when patients do not honor appointments. We are also improving how we collect feedback from patients when cancellations occur, to help us learn and inform future updates.
Attracting only patients you can treat
We will offer you more control over your booking preferences and guide patients on how to choose the right provider to address their needs. This will ensure that we are helping you connect with the right patients, whether you see a broad range or a more narrow set.
To start, we tailored Zocdoc Search functionality for orthopedic and mental health care so that more relevant providers appear in users’ search results for these specialities. For example, if a patient seeking treatment for anxiety doesn’t know what type of specialist they should see, they can answer questions to refine their search, and patients searching for orthopedic care must now select a body part and specific visit reason. These improvements will lead to better patient-provider fit, and importantly, will reduce cancellations.
Collecting essential information from patients more easily
To help you get what you need more efficiently, we will do more to collect essential information from patients and introduce new solutions to simplify your daily workflows. This will minimize time spent trying to reach patients before the appointment.
To start, we are testing ways to collect more insurance information from patients during booking. We have redesigned the appointment card to make it easier for you to view a patient’s insurance details, and we are testing showing the results of a basic insurance eligibility check. Additionally, we are introducing a new way for you to digitally collect the pre-appointment information you need, such as custom office forms and insurance card images, from all of your patients. These updates can save you time on administrative tasks and encourage patient commitment.
We are striving for bookings you can rely on
Our focus in 2022 is to improve the Zocdoc experience for providers, so we can better support the needs and success of your practice. We will share regular updates throughout the year, and we welcome your ideas and feedback through this provider feedback form. I and our product team will review your feedback on a regular basis, and while we can’t respond to each comment or make all requested changes, we will honestly consider them.
In the meantime, thank you for choosing to be a part of Zocdoc’s marketplace. We would not be able to make quality care more accessible for patients without you, and we look forward to making Zocdoc work even better for you.
With thanks,
Oliver Kharraz, M.D.
Zocdoc founder & CEO