Millions of people visit Zocdoc each month (via the website or our free app) to schedule care with nearly 100,000 providers across all 50 states and every specialty. Patients tell us minute by minute exactly what they’re looking for with their clicks. This gives us unique insight into what patients want, which providers can leverage to attract and retain new patients.
By analyzing patients’ 2023 booking data, we identified the key attributes driving the highest number of bookings. Patients predominantly look for near-term care, with specific appointment times showing higher demand. Keeping these patient preferences in mind can help you continue to scale and stay prepared as you welcome new patients.
The secret to more bookings? The sooner the better.
The majority of patients are looking for care as soon as possible. In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 appointments took place within 48 hours of booking and nearly half of all appointments on Zocdoc took place within 4 days, showing a strong preference for near-term appointments. Providers can capitalize on this by using platforms like Zocdoc that show up-to-date availability.
Boost your near-term care capacity
Providers can also increase availability by working with advanced practice providers (APPs) whose unique skill sets make a valuable addition. Over a 90-day period, our data showed that practices with APPs had more than double the provider availability of their counterparts. Not surprisingly, practices with APPs secured 72% more bookings during those 3 months than their counterparts.
New year, new (loyal) patients
The new year brings renewed focus on health and wellness. Ensuring you’re ready to welcome new patients in January can set you up for long-term success. In fact, January bookers are more likely to book again within the next 30 days versus the Zocdoc average.
Busiest months
January, March and May were the top three booking months in 2023.
Busiest days
Mondays dominated the top booking dates in 2023. Monday, January 30th had the most appointments, overall, with 13% more appointments than the average Monday in 2023. January 9th was a hair behind, also seeing 13% above average appointments.
Most appointments were on weekdays, with volume dropping off towards the end of the week and light on weekends.
Busiest times
Monday at 10 a.m. was the top spot with 2.55% of 2023 bookings, followed by Monday at 2 p.m. 10 a.m. is overall the most popular time of day for an appointment, followed closely by 2 p.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
During the weekdays, patients primarily saw their doctors between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a dip in volume at noon. On weekends, noon appointments were common, representing 15% and 14% of Saturday and Sunday bookings, respectively.
Providers that offer quality, near-term care are in high demand. To acquire more patients, having a platform that shows up-to-date availability is essential. Keep in mind that some months (looking at you, January and March), days and times are busier than others and that working with advanced practice providers (APPs) can be a great way to increase availability.
Discover more data-driven insights in The Provider’s Guide to Patient Preferences and consult with an enterprise sales representative to learn more about how Zocdoc can grow your business.