{"id":18537,"date":"2024-12-20T11:50:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T16:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/\/"},"modified":"2024-12-20T11:50:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T16:50:23","slug":"what-primary-care-patients-wanted-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/resources\/blog\/article\/what-primary-care-patients-wanted-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"What Primary Care 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. Every click revealed patient preferences, including for primary care care, which was the number one most-booked speciality in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Who was looking for new primary care providers?<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Zocdoc primary care patients were young and skewed female<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2024, more than half (54%) of Zocdoc primary care patients were Millennials (ages 27-42). 24% were young adults ages 18-29 and 3 out of 5 primary care bookers were female.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Patients seeking primary care providers in 2024 valued trust and continuity. Over 80% of Zocdoc\u2019s primary care patients rebooked with the same provider, making them one of the most loyal patient groups. This loyalty translated to <\/span>higher lifetime revenue<\/span><\/a>, as patients consistently returned for visit reasons such as annual physicals, illness, and weight loss concerns. In fact, patients booked significantly more appointments in 2024 for semaglutide consultations (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy) \u2013\u2013 with an increase of 71% for males and 50% for females compared to 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Patients prioritized speed to care<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2024, a quarter of appointments occurred within one day of booking and roughly half of all primary care appointments took place within 4 days of booking \u2013\u2013 far sooner than the national average wait time of 20.6 days.*<\/span><\/p>\n

*According to the <\/span>2022 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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

Half of patients booked primary care appointments from 5 PM to 9 AM when the office is typically closed. This highlighted the importance of offering online self-scheduling to remain competitive and meet patient needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

They wanted to get in early<\/b><\/p>\n

The busiest booking days were Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with 10 AM being the most popular time slot.<\/span><\/p>\n

They prioritized visits in summer<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2024, summer was the busiest time of year for primary care doctors, as patients booked visits for annual physicals and vaccinations. July and August both saw 12% more appointments in 2024 vs. the average month. Even for those not heading back to school, the late summer months can bring a focus on getting back on track with health routines after travel or time off work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

In 2024, 3 out of 4 primary care patients booked with a commercial insurance plan, and 9 out of 10 chose in-network providers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Nearly 70% of primary care appointments were booked via mobile device, a number that continues to increase year-over-year, and underscores the importance of meeting patients where and how they\u2019re searching.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Patients consistently favored providers with more positive reviews and professional office photos. Relative to primary care providers with one to nine reviews, those with 10 to 29 reviews saw 2.7x as many bookings on average. While many platforms allow anyone to write a review, Zocdoc promotes trust by only publishing reviews from verified patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, providers with four or more office photos got 2.4x as many bookings compared to providers who didn\u2019t show off their office space.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Routine needs and common concerns were top of mind<\/b><\/p>\n

The most-booked visit reasons included annual physicals, illness, prescriptions\/refills, Attention Deficit \/ Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Patients wanted to stay close to home, regardless of visit type<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2024, 4 out of 5 in-person visits took place within 20 miles. For virtual visits, nearly half were within 20 miles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patients strongly preferred in-person visits<\/b><\/p>\n

The vast majority of patients (87%) chose to book in-person visits, while only 13% opted for virtual appointments.<\/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, primary care 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. Every click revealed patient preferences, including for primary care care, which was the number one most-booked speciality in 2024. By analyzing these patient behaviors, we uncovered powerful insights to help practices better support their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":18538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[119],"class_list":["post-18537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare-trends","tag-primary-care-doctor"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Primary Care Patients Wanted in 2024 - Practice Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out what drove primary care bookings 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-primary-care-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 Primary Care Patients Wanted in 2024 - 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