Each month, millions of people visit Zocdoc.com or use our free mobile app to search for quality healthcare providers. This means that every minute, patients are telling us with their clicks what they want when it comes to their care –– and when they want it.
At Zocdoc, we have the privilege of receiving this feedback from patients each day. From the year’s busiest booking day to the most popular appointment times, here’s a look at when patients wanted to see providers in 2023.
Busiest booking day of 2023
Tuesday, January 3
Patients booked 41% 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.
Among the top-booked visit reasons for that day were:
- Annual physical
- Pap smear
- Illness
- Dermatology consultation
Busiest appointment day of 2023
Monday, January 30
This day saw 13% more appointments scheduled vs. the average Monday in 2023.
Least busy appointment day of 2023
Sunday, January 1
New Year’s Day had nearly 70% fewer appointments than the average Sunday in 2023.
Busiest appointment week of 2023
Week of January 9
Patients started off 2023 with health on their minds, booking 10% more appointments scheduled for the week of January 9 vs. the average week.
Least busy appointment week of 2023
Week of Independence Day
Holidays weeks saw lower appointment volumes: The July 4th week had 20% fewer appointments than usual, Labor Day week had 13% fewer and Memorial Day week had 11% fewer.
Busiest appointment month of 2023
March
Even after a strong “New Year, New You” start to the year, March was ultimately the top month overall for appointments, with 7% more appointments scheduled vs. the average month.
Least busy appointment months of 2023
April, September and February
These were the 3 months with the lowest appointment volume, due in part to holidays and the shortness of the month relative to 31-day months.
After-hours bookings
Roughly half of all appointments were booked after hours, between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., when doctors’ offices are typically closed.
Compared to the average, appointments to see podiatrists, chiropractors and urgent care were the most likely to be booked after hours.
Most popular appointment time slots
Overall, 10 a.m. was 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.
Most popular appointment days
Earlier weekdays were the most popular days for an appointment, with popularity dropping off on Friday and into the weekend.
Most canceled appointment slots
Cancellations were highest for appointments scheduled for the weekend.
Sunday appointments were the most canceled of any day, with a cancellation rate 15% above the average, followed by Saturday appointments, at 7% above average.
During the work week, patients dropped out more as the day went on.
Cancellation rates were below average before 4 p.m. each day aside from Fridays, where rates crept up after noon heading into the weekend. These grew to more than 10% above average from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Near-term bookers were more likely to honor their scheduled visits.
With every 24 hours that passed between a booking and the appointment (up to 6 days after a booking), patients were an average of 4% less likely to make it to that scheduled visit.
Gender and age
Female patients were less likely to attend their scheduled appointments than their male counterparts. Women canceled at an 18% higher average rate and rescheduled at a 19% higher average rate than men.
Older patients were more likely to honor their scheduled visits. With each successive younger generation, patients were an average 6% less likely to attend their appointment.
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