Yelp users can now book healthcare appointments directly after searching for providers through a newly announced partnership with Zocdoc.
The capability is now available on Yelp’s iOS app on provider pages and through the platform’s new artificial intelligence chatbot Yelp Assistant. Users can view real-time, in-network availability and schedule appointments through Zocdoc, the announcement said. The companies plan to expand the capability to Android and desktop users later this year.
“We’re excited to partner with Zocdoc to make it easier for consumers to find and book with in-network healthcare providers,” said Craig Saldanha, Yelp's chief product officer, in a statement. “By connecting consumers with providers at the moment they’re ready to schedule—including through Yelp Assistant—we’re reducing friction and helping providers reach patients through a platform they already trust.”
According to Zocdoc, the partnership reflects the company’s expansion beyond its own marketplace to allow patients to schedule appointments wherever they are looking for care. The new partnership also allows providers to book more appointments “with no additional workflow,” the announcement said. Appointments are scheduled through existing electronic health record (EHR) systems or through Zocdoc.
Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz, M.D., said in a statement that booking a doctor’s appointment “should be as easy as booking dinner.”
"Healthcare too often breaks at the start, when patients are ready to act but can’t easily transact,” Kharraz said. “By powering seamless scheduling on Yelp, we’re turning that intent into access and helping patients go from searching to being seen. This is the next step toward making access work for patients, wherever their journey begins.”
Aside from Yelp, Zocdoc powers scheduling on providers’ websites, Google Business Profiles and insurance directories. Last May, the scheduling platform launched an artificial intelligence agent dubbed Zo to book appointments by phone. Alongside the announcement, Kharraz told Fierce Healthcare the platform is also looking to build out capabilities to coordinate prescription refills.