All of this means that doctors need to have a presence where consumers are looking and Zocdoc has helped create a consolidated platform for doctors, reviews, and information, similar to a Yelp for restaurants or TripAdvisor for vacation travel. And this isn’t just for millennials – 90% of patients in the 60+ demographic stated that they would switch providers if they saw negative reviews online. However, in the age of technology, people rely more and more on information online – research shows that 80% of respondents use the internet to make healthcare-related searches and 63% choose one provider over another because of their online presence. In the past, the most common way to find new doctors would be through referrals (either from your primary care physician or from friends / family). Through its platform, you can search by location, condition / procedure, insurance, and other criteria to find doctors and appointment times that fit your needs. Zocdoc, founded in 2007, is a platform that tries to answer and solve these questions for consumers with online medical care search and appointment booking services. Where do you go if you want to find a certain type of doctor? How do you know if that doctor is any good? Do you have to call to set up an appointment? How do you know if the appointment or procedure is covered within your insurance network? And if you’re a doctor, how are patients finding you? How do you differentiate yourself from “competitors”? And how do you save time on paperwork, setting appointments, and other administrative tasks that take away from your ability to deliver care? While many industries have moved rapidly towards increased transparency and accessibility, the medical profession has lagged in many respects.

As consumers, we’ve gotten so used to having information at our fingertips: reviews, information on where we can buy, transparent pricing, and even being able to immediately make purchases, appointments, or reservations online.

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