What You Should Know:
– Zocdoc, a healthcare marketplace connecting patients with providers, has released its second annual “What Patients Want: 2024 Insights into Patient Preferences and Behaviors” report, providing valuable insights into patient preferences and behaviors in 2024.
– The report analyzes millions of interactions on the Zocdoc platform to identify key trends shaping the healthcare landscape.
Social Media’s Influence on Healthcare
The report highlights the growing influence of social media on healthcare trends, with notable increases in bookings for:
- Semaglutide consultations: Likely driven by discussions of GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
- Sleep medicine specialists: Potentially influenced by the popularity of “sleepy girl mocktails” on social media.
- Jaw pain appointments: Possibly related to the “mewing” trend circulating online.
- Blue light therapy: Increased interest in this treatment among women.
- Veneers: Growing demand for cosmetic dental procedures.
In-Person Care Still Dominates
Despite the rise of telehealth, in-person care remains the preferred option for most patients. Only 12% of appointments booked in 2024 were virtual, with mental health being the exception (79% of psychiatry bookings were virtual).
Patient Demographics and Booking Trends
- Women comprise the majority of Zocdoc users, accounting for two-thirds of bookings.
- Millennials represent the largest age group, making up nearly half of all bookings.
- Mobile bookings dominate, particularly for urgent care, mental health, and primary care.
Key Factors Influencing Patient Choices
- Insurance: Most patients prioritize in-network providers, with nearly 9 out of 10 bookings involving insurance coverage.
- Speed to Care: Patients value quick access to care, with a third of appointments occurring within 48 hours of booking.
- Provider Gender: Female patients predominantly choose female providers, while male patients show a more even distribution.
- Visual Appeal: Providers with office photos on their profiles receive significantly more bookings.
- Multilingual Capabilities: Providers listing multiple languages attract more bookings.
- Reviews: Positive reviews significantly influence patient choices, with providers having more reviews receiving exponentially more bookings.
Top Specialties and Visit Reasons
- Preventive health and skin health lead the bookings, followed by mental health and dental care.
- Urgent care, dermatology, and psychiatry are the fastest-growing specialty groups.
- The most booked specialists include primary care doctors, dermatologists, and OB-GYNs.
- Top growing visit reasons include cold symptoms, eyelid issues, and dental pain.
Appointment Timing and Preferences
- The busiest booking day is typically the first non-holiday weekday of the new year.
- The busiest appointment day and week tend to fall in September, coinciding with the back-to-school season.
- Nearly half of all appointments are booked after hours, highlighting the demand for convenient scheduling options.
- The most popular time slots for appointments are late morning and early afternoon.
- Mondays and the early part of the week are the most popular days for appointments.
Patient Empowerment and Predictions for 2025
The Zocdoc Patient Empowerment Index shows a slight decline in patient control over their healthcare experience. However, Zocdoc’s CEO predicts increased patient comfort with AI solutions, greater experimentation with cash-pay services, and wider adoption of commercial GLP-1 medications in 2025.
“Given the breadth and depth of services patients book through Zocdoc nationwide, we have unmatched insights into Americans’ healthcare choices and priorities,” said Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz, MD. “With this report, we’re proud to amplify patients’ voices and choices to help shed light on what matters most when it comes to their care.”