{"id":18519,"date":"2024-12-13T12:33:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T17:33:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/\/"},"modified":"2024-12-13T12:33:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T17:33:48","slug":"what-young-patients-wanted-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/what-young-patients-wanted-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"What Young Patients Wanted in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2024, millions of patients turned to Zocdoc to find healthcare providers across every state and specialty, booking appointments instantly online. Younger generations led the way: Millennials (ages 27\u201342) made up 42% of bookings, Gen Z (ages 18\u201326) accounted for 22%, and 4% of bookings were for patients under age 18. Young women also played a key role, accounting for two out of every three bookings. Every click revealed patient preferences, including what young patients are seeking when it comes to their care.<\/span><\/p>\n

By analyzing these patient behaviors, we uncovered powerful insights to help practices better support their younger patients. Here\u2019s what Zocdoc data revealed about young patients in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why were they looking for new providers?<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

They sought long-term relationships<\/b><\/p>\n

Young patients seeking healthcare in 2024 valued trust and continuity. Over 80% of Zocdoc\u2019s patients rebooked with the same provider. Capturing patients early in their healthcare journey is crucial, since this loyalty translates to <\/span>higher lifetime revenue<\/span><\/a> as patients consistently return again and again.<\/span><\/p>\n

In particular, younger mental health patients were among the most loyal rebookers. One out of three mental health rebookers were between the ages of 18-26 and half were millennials (ages 27-42). Mental health rebookings remained relatively consistent across all types of insurance and self-pay, highlighting that patients wanted to find providers they like.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preventive health and skin health topped the bookings charts for young patients in 2024<\/b><\/p>\n

Younger patients also put a focus on mental health and dental health, which rounded out the top 10 most booked visit reasons. Hyperactive Disorder (ADD \/ ADHD) moved up to the 5th spot from 9th in 2023, while routine eye exams made the top 10 for the first time this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top 10 most booked visit reasons in 2024:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Annual Physical<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Annual Pap Smear \/ GYN Exam<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Dermatology Consultation<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Illness<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Hyperactive Disorder<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Anxiety<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Dental Cleaning<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Routine Eye Exam<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Psychiatry Consultation<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Dental Consultation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When did they want to see providers?<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

    Young patients prioritized speed to care<\/b><\/p>\n

    Speed to care is one of the most important factors for patients. When booking care in America, the average wait time to see a physician is 26 days. This is up from 24.1 days in 2017, and 20.9 days in 2004*. For certain specialties, the average wait time can be even longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In 2024, Baby Boomers and older saw slightly less urgency for same-day visits relative to younger generations. On Zocdoc, nearly 1 in 3 appointments took place within 2 days of booking and half of all appointments took place within 4 days, showing a strong preference for near-term appointments.<\/span><\/p>\n

    *According to AMN\/Merritt Hawkins’ 2022 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times<\/span><\/p>\n

    Booking flexibility was essential<\/b><\/p>\n

    Young patients expect healthcare booking to be as seamless as ordering delivery or getting a car service. That means they want to be able to book 24\/7 when it\u2019s convenient for them. Nearly half of all appointments were booked after hours, when doctors\u2019 offices are typically closed. This highlighted the importance of offering online self-scheduling to remain competitive and meet young patients\u2019 needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Early in the week, morning appointments were preferred<\/b><\/p>\n

    The busiest booking days were Mondays and Tuesdays, with 11 a.m. being the most popular time slot.<\/span><\/p>\n

    They prioritized visits at the end-of-summer<\/b><\/p>\n

    Younger patients were focused on getting back into healthy routines after summer vacations, with August marking the peak “back-to-school” season for appointments. August was the top month overall for appointments in 2024, with 7% more scheduled vs. the average month. This shifted from 2023 when the busiest month was March.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How did they choose providers?<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

    Insurance drove decisions<\/b><\/p>\n

    Young patients overwhelmingly want providers that take their insurance. Nearly 9 out of 10 patients booked with in-network providers and more than 4 in 5 bookings were made using commercial insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Mobile led the way<\/b><\/p>\n

    Female patients preferred booking via mobile compared to males.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Reviews and photos mattered<\/b><\/p>\n

    Young patients consistently favored providers with more positive reviews and professional office photos. Providers with more than 50 reviews received 10x more bookings relative to providers with one to nine reviews. Providers with 100+ reviews received 27x more bookings relative to providers with one to nine reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Similarly, providers with one to three office photos received on average 2.8x as many bookings vs. providers with no office photos, which was similar to 2023. However, providers with four or more office photos in 2024 received 5.8x as many bookings (up from 4.8x last year).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Provider gender played an important role<\/b><\/p>\n

    Younger patients overwhelmingly preferred female providers. In 2024, 73% of bookings for Gen Z women were with female providers, which was similar to last year, while 53% of Gen Z men saw male providers, a small dip from last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Where did they want to see providers?<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

    They strongly preferred in-person, but were more likely to be open to virtual<\/b><\/p>\n

    The majority of younger patients preferred scheduling in-person appointments, with the exception of mental health. That said, patients ages 18-42 were slightly more open to booking virtual appointments compared to older generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    They want to stay close to home<\/b><\/p>\n

    Nearly 4 in 5 physical appointments were within 20 miles. Roughly half of all virtual appointments took place within 20 miles of the patient, too \u2013 indicating younger patients’ preference for provider proximity even when scheduling virtual care. This was consistent with 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Looking back at 2024<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

    From prioritizing quick access and long-term relationships to favoring providers with trustworthy reviews, young patients made their expectations clear. Understanding these trends and how you can meet patients’ unique needs can position your practice for further growth in 2025. <\/span>Consult with an enterprise sales representative<\/span><\/a> to learn more about how Zocdoc can grow your business.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In 2024, millions of patients turned to Zocdoc to find healthcare providers across every state and specialty, booking appointments instantly online. Younger generations led the way: Millennials (ages 27\u201342) made up 42% of bookings, Gen Z (ages 18\u201326) accounted for 22%, and 4% of bookings were for patients under age 18. Young women also played […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":18520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[121],"class_list":["post-18519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare-trends","tag-general-healthcare"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Young Patients Wanted in 2024 - Practice Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out what drove Zocdoc bookings for young patients in 2024.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/what-young-patients-wanted-in-2024\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Young Patients Wanted in 2024 - 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