What You Should Know:
- .Zocdoc, leading healthcare marketplace that makes it easy for patients to find and book in-person or virtual care across over 250 specialties and more than 18,000 insurance plans, today introduced Guided Search.
- This new search experience intuitively provides patients with a more tailored set of results based on their unique care needs so they can select the right provider and book with greater confidence.
Improving Patient-Provider Pairing: Zocdoc’s Guided Search Revolutionizes Healthcare Access and Experience
The process of matching patients with providers can be challenging, as highlighted by a Zocdoc survey. A significant portion of patients (57%) have experienced arriving at appointments only to find the doctor unsuitable for their medical needs, while a considerable number of providers (24%) frequently encounter patients outside their area of expertise. To address this issue, Zocdoc has introduced Guided Search, which simplifies the decision-making process for patients and enhances the fit between patients and providers.
Guided Search eliminates the need for patients to determine specific specialties, instead focusing on their symptoms or treatment requirements. This feature not only enhances the patient experience but also benefits providers by saving time and ensuring patients align with their practice’s scope. It achieves this by increasing bookings from patients suitable for the provider’s expertise, boosting confidence in accepting patients, and facilitating better preparation for appointments by gathering relevant information beforehand.
Early results indicate positive outcomes, with Guided Search increasing conversion rates and helping patients find doctors tailored to their needs. This launch represents a significant advancement in Zocdoc’s provider search and booking functionality, building upon its previous innovations like Patient-Powered Search.
Additionally, survey results highlight disparities in preferences between patients and providers. Patients often encounter mismatches in provider selection, while providers prioritize patients whose concerns they can address effectively. There are also differences in perceived red flags, with patients emphasizing poor communication while providers are concerned about patient reliability. Despite these differences, both parties value mutual respect and effective communication in their interactions.
“We know that choosing the right provider is very important to patients, but far too often, that decision-making process can feel confusing and overwhelming,” said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder & CEO. “We introduced Guided Search to give patients greater control, more confidence and ultimately peace of mind that they’re selecting a provider who is able to see and treat them for their specific needs.”
