What You Should Know:
– Zocdoc, the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care, today launched Zo by Zocdoc, an AI Phone Assistant that removes one of the most frustrating bottlenecks for both patients and healthcare organizations: the phone.
– Zo engages like a human and manages appointments like an expert, handling unlimited inbound scheduling calls to increase patient access and retention for healthcare organizations. On the patient end, Zo vanquishes hold times and instantly schedules appointments 24/7 using natural, conversational language.
Zocdoc Launches Zo: Transforming Healthcare Scheduling with AI Phone Assistant
Zocdoc has unveiled Zo, an AI-powered phone assistant designed to revolutionize healthcare scheduling, addressing both operational inefficiencies for providers and longstanding frustrations for patients. Building on nearly two decades of expertise in patient-provider interactions and EHR integration, Zocdoc is uniquely positioned to deliver this next-generation solution.
Advancing Zocdoc’s Vision for Universal Scheduling Access
Already a leader in powering scheduling through provider websites, Google Business Profiles, and insurance directories, Zocdoc is now expanding into the largest appointment channel in the U.S.—the phone, which handles billions of healthcare transactions each year. With Zo, Zocdoc continues to extend its profitable, scaled marketplace expertise beyond its core platform.
Why Zo is Needed Now
- For healthcare providers: The phone has long been a pain point. Up to 20% of patient calls go unanswered, costing practices $200–$300 per missed call in lost revenue. Nearly half of Americans (49%) say they would switch doctors if they can’t reach the office, and 58% report they would be more loyal with a seamless phone experience.
- For patients: Frustration runs deep. About 1 in 4 Americans (24%) say they hate calling the doctor’s office—rating it as worse than calling airlines or utilities. More alarmingly, among patients unable to reach their doctor, 54% delay care and 34% abandon scheduling entirely, undermining health outcomes.
Key Features of Zo
- AI-driven call handling: Instantly answers calls, replacing cumbersome IVR (“press 1”) systems with natural, conversational interaction.
- Unlimited, 24/7 concurrent scheduling: Absorbs peak and after-hours demand without hold times.
- Autonomous call resolution: Manages most scheduling tasks, escalating only complex cases to staff.
- Seamless integration: Easily connects to practices’ phone systems and EHRs, applying each practice’s specific booking rules to match patients with the right providers.
- Outcome-based pricing: Practices pay only when Zo successfully manages an appointment, with no time-based or license fees. There are no upfront costs or long-term commitments, making it a low-risk, high-reward solution.
Proven Results
Early adopters report that Zo resolves up to 70% of scheduling calls without staff intervention. The average call is completed in under 3 minutes and 30 seconds, with no hold time. Patients have responded enthusiastically, giving Zo a customer satisfaction (CSAT) score exceeding 80 and praising its ease of use and ability to handle nuanced scheduling needs.
What’s Next for Zo
Zocdoc is actively developing additional capabilities to expand Zo’s role, including:
- Outbound calls for checkup reminders, last-minute cancellations, and waitlist notifications
- Prescription refill coordination
- Multilingual support
- Patient engagement through text and chat
As Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc’s founder and CEO, explains, “AI agents will soon be as essential to businesses as having a website. What sets Zo apart is the nearly two decades of Zocdoc’s expertise and infrastructure behind it—no other player in the space has this depth.”
