Meet the OpenTable for Health Care
If you are a fan of OpenTable and you have dreamed about bringing the simplicity of its service to other fields, now you will be happy to learn about ZocDoc, a startup that is trying to ease the process of booking doctor appointments on the web.
The Idea
Founded in September 2007, ZocDoc is the brainchild of Cyrus Massoumi while he was on a cross country flight with a sinus infection. According to the company site, upon landing, his eardrum burst and he was badly in need of a doctor. It took Cyrus four days to finally find a doctor in New York City, and he realized there had to be a better way.
Then and Now
Back in 2007, ZocDoc was just s a service to help people find and make dentist appointments in New York City.
As of August 2011, ZocDoc offers online appointments for primary care, dermatologist, eye-doctor, ENT, orthopedist, OB/GYN, allergist, podiatrist, cardiologist, pediatrician, radiologist and psychiatrist appointments in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, DC, Atlanta, San Francisco and Boston.
Here are sample screenshots from ZocDoc’s service:
Doctor Profile (click for larger image)
Appointment confirmation (click for larger image)
Business Model
While ZocDoc boasts about 700,000 monthly users (according to Fortune on November 2011), doctors and service providers are the biggest fans. The online booking service integrates with existing appointment software used by hospitals and private practices, allowing for automatic updates of schedules when patients make changes online. The company makes by charging a monthly $250 fee to doctors and service providers.
The company has amassed several awards such a sone of the 40 hottest global startups by TechCrunch40 and the #1 Best Place to Work in New York City by Crain’s New York, December 2010.
Try out ZocDoc at http://www.ZocDoc.com.
By Damian Davila, blogger covering tech and gadgets at idaconcpts.com. You can read more articles from Damian at SexySocialMedia here. Follow him on Twitter at @idaconcpts.
Hi,
thanks for this post about ZocDoc. I learned something new, because i didnt know that this is something that will help us and ease the process of booking doctor appointments on the web. A very useful info indeed!