Each month, millions of patients visit Zocdoc to find and instantly book appointments with healthcare providers across every state and specialty. That means every day, with their clicks, patients are telling us what they want from their mental health providers.
To make a mark in today’s competitive mental health landscape, it’s essential to understand the demographics, preferences and reasons behind potential patients’ visits. We analyzed the data from hundreds of thousands of bookings in 2023 to give you an inside look at what mental health patients want when looking for new providers. Leveraging these insights can help you acquire more new patients and stand out from the crowd.
Who is looking for new mental health providers?
66% of mental health bookers were women and 34% were men. A little over half of bookers (51%) were millennials and Gen Z made up nearly a third of bookings (31%).
What characteristics matter most when choosing a mental health provider?
Speed to care is an important factor when choosing a mental health provider. Nearly half of all appointments took place within 4 days from when the booking was made.
Mental health patients look for providers who take their insurance. 4 out of 5 appointments were made using a commercial insurance plan and nearly 9 out 10 appointments were in-network.
Where do they want to see a mental health provider?
Patients strongly prefer to see mental health providers virtually. Nearly 9 out of 10 patients book virtual visits. However, patients value seeing providers in-person, too. Relative to providers offering virtual-only care, mental health providers with in-person visits see 80% more bookings on average.
Patients also like to see mental health providers that are close to home, especially when traveling to the office. For in-person visits, 70% of visits are within 20 miles. For virtual visits, 46% of appointments are within 20 miles; 54% are located 20+ miles.
Why do they want to see a mental health provider?
The top 10 visit reasons included:
- Psychiatry consultation
- Anxiety
- Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Depression
- Psychotherapy
- Therapy
- Psychotherapy intake / Initial visit
- Bipolar disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling
- Psychiatry follow-up
When patients chose to book without insurance or out-of-network, the top three visit reasons included adolescent psychiatry, psychiatry follow-ups, and medication reviews.
When do they want to see a mental health provider?
Busiest booking day of 2023
Tuesday, January 3rd
Patients booked 29% more appointments on January 3 — the first non-holiday weekday of the New Year — than the average number of bookings made on Tuesdays in 2023.
Busiest booking months
Overall, January was the busiest month for bookings, followed by March and May.
Most popular appointment dates
January 19th and January 31st received 56% and 55% more bookings respectively vs. the average day.
Most popular appointment weeks
The first two weeks in January were the busiest, with 13% more bookings than the average week in 2023.
Most popular appointment time slots
The top two appointment times were 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., representing 11% of bookings each.
Most popular appointment days
Mondays and Tuesdays were most popular, followed by Wednesdays and Thursdays. Appointments dropped off on Fridays and into the weekend.
How do patients book visits with mental health providers?
66% of mental health bookings were made via mobile, while 34% booked via desktop. Using a platform that meets both preferences helps providers easily acquire and retain patients.
Roughly half of patients prefer to book mental health appointments from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. when the office is typically closed. Unlocking access to 24/7 booking ensures patients can book when it’s most convenient for them.
How Mental Health Providers Can Stand Out
Show off your space
Relative to mental health providers with zero office photos, those with 1-3 office photos got 3.5x as many bookings.
More languages, more bookings
Mental health providers who speak two languages received 1.3x as many bookings compared to providers who only speak one language.
Highlight your positive reviews
Relative to mental health providers with 1-9 reviews, those with 10-29 reviews saw 3.8x as many bookings; providers with 30-49 reviews saw 6.6x as many bookings on average.
Are you exuding positivity?
Mental health providers on Zocdoc received an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. Only patients who have seen providers can leave a review on Zocdoc’s platform, which creates a trustworthy environment and encourages bookings.
If you’re aiming to expand your reach and attract new patients, the data-driven insights above can help you refine your marketing strategies and align your services with patient expectations. Speed to care, convenient locations with virtual visits, and a user-friendly mobile booking experience are just a few of the factors that matter most to mental health patients. In today’s competitive mental health landscape, platforms like Zocdoc –– that enable easy booking and help make your online presence pop –– can easily connect you with new patients actively seeking mental health providers.