{"id":17456,"date":"2018-08-15T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thescript.zocdoc.com\/?p=17456"},"modified":"2023-10-30T13:55:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T18:55:31","slug":"why-not-offering-after-hours-booking-is-driving-away-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/why-not-offering-after-hours-booking-is-driving-away-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Not Offering After-Hours Booking Is A Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is your practice fielding seemingly endless calls to set up appointments?<\/span><\/p>\n

Or worse, are you taking multiple calls for the same appointment? <\/span>Do you start your day frazzled, thanks to a voice mailbox full of appointment requests that may (or may not) become real appointments? <\/span>Do you struggle to fill up last-minute time slots?<\/span><\/p>\n

If these scenarios sound familiar, then you need online booking. The ability to self-schedule appointments 24\/7 offers patients more convenience, of course. But online booking isn’t just a bonus; it’s increasingly becoming a requirement for a successful practice \u2014 especially when it comes to acquiring and retaining millennial patients. Read on to learn more about the importance of offering self-scheduling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Millennials want healthcare that\u2019s more connected than ever<\/b><\/h2>\n

Millennials grew up on the internet, and even healthcare is woven into the interconnectivity of their lives, from tracking health metrics via apps to relying on social media for 24\/7 support on health issues. Then there\u2019s \u201cDr. Google.\u201d When Zocdoc <\/span>conducted a survey in 2015<\/span><\/a> to learn more about how Americans engage in healthcare, we found that 43 percent of respondents felt it was easier to diagnose and treat themselves than visit a doctor. <\/span><\/p>\n

This mindset shift has serious consequences for patients, who risk missing out on the quality of care they can only get from seeing a doctor. Millennials are the most likely to delay or skip preventive care \u2014 our survey found that a staggering 93 percent of patients in this age group aren’t scheduling regular medical appointments. <\/span><\/p>\n

After-hours booking is a must to reach millennials<\/b><\/h2>\n

In our survey, 1 in 4 patients said they find it difficult to reach someone at their doctor’s office by phone. And if their first attempt to call doesn’t result in a successful booking, 26 percent said they wait at least a few weeks to try again. It\u2019s no surprise that 80 percent of our survey respondents said they\u2019re more motivated to book an appointment if they can do it online. <\/span><\/p>\n

Online booking also works because it allows patients to schedule an appointment anytime, not just during office hours. Forty-five percent of appointments scheduled via Zocdoc are booked after hours. So if you\u2019re not offering after-hours booking, you could be missing out on nearly half of your booking potential. <\/span><\/p>\n

After-hours booking helps your practice run more efficiently<\/b><\/h2>\n

Online booking can immediately boost productivity at your practice. It outsources some of your appointment-scheduling duties to the booking platform, freeing up your office staff to do other tasks. And it can also help fill up your schedule, making each day more profitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

With after-hours booking, patients can book last-minute appointments in time slots that might otherwise go vacant. A <\/span>2016 survey<\/a> conducted by\u00a0a medical software company reported that 6 percent of the appointments scheduled online were for same-day slots, and about 1 in 4 were same-day or next-day appointments. The ability to book an appointment on short notice is also a concern for patients, as nearly one-third of our survey respondents reported skipping a medical visit because it was too hard to get a last-minute appointment. So online booking is a true win-win for both patients and providers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, adopting online after-hours booking keeps<\/b>\u00a0your practice current <\/b><\/h2>\n

Online booking isn’t a fleeting trend, and you need to adopt it now to stay up to date.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Accenture, a global management consulting and professional services firm, <\/span>predicts that<\/span><\/a> 66 percent of health systems, including<\/span>\u00a0the top 100, will offer self-scheduling by 2019. Accenture also predicts that nearly two-thirds of patients will make appointments via self-scheduling, booking 986 million appointments worth $3.2 billion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to attract your share of those appointments, the time to start after-hours online booking is now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to list your practice with Zocdoc \u2014 and start booking new appointments today. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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