What can you use the application for?


Zocdoc.com is an online service which allows patients to book doctor and dentist appointments. Doctors and dentists can be searched by specialty, location and type of insurance that they accept. Patients can read reviews of doctors and dentists written by other patients. The service allows patients to search for the following specialties: Allergist, Dentist, Dermatologist, ENT, Ophthalmologist, OBGYN, Orthopedic Surgeon, Primary Care Doctor and Psychiatrist.
The site currently lists doctors and dentists located in the Brooklyn, NY and New York, NY areas, but plans to expand to other locations and specialties over time.

To use the service, patients select a specialty, type in a location (city and state or zip code), and optionally select their insurance company and plan. The site returns a list of doctors that match their criteria, with available appointment times shown. The site also shows a map with the location of each doctor pointed out on the map. Patients choose a date and time with the doctor of their choice, select a reason for the visit, and the appointment is booked. Patients can view a complete profile of each doctor and read their reviews before selecting them. The profile includes information about the doctor’s education and experience.

What is the history and popularity of the application?


New York-based Zocdoc.com was launched in September 2007 by Cyrus Massoumi (currently CEO), Oliver Kharraz (currently COO) and Nick Ganju (currently CTO). The site has grown steadily since launch, adding new specialties and locations covered. The site currently has tens of thousands of unique monthly visitors, and has an Alexa page rank well below 150,000.

What are the differences to other applications?


Competition to Zocdoc comes from sites such as the WebMD Physician directory and AMA Physician Select. There are also many other physician and dentist directories on the web. Most of these have a much larger area of coverage than Zocdoc, with WebMD and the AMA site being national. However, they do not allow you to book an appointment – this feature is unique to Zocdoc. The Zocdoc service should prosper as it expands to other areas, as the concept has worked well in the areas currently covered.

How does the application look and feel to use?


The Zocdoc site has a very clean and uncluttered look and feel. Searches return results very quickly, and page loads are very fast. The site is very responsive overall. Navigation is intuitive, and there is a convenient search dialogue located on the home page of the site. The site also includes directories organized by name, practice, location, specialty, condition, insurance and language.

How does the registration process work?


Registration at the Zocdoc site is not required to search for a doctor or dentist, but is required to book an appointment. The registration process asks for first and last name, zip code, gender, date of birth, email address and password. In addition, the site sends a confirmation code via telephone or SMS text message which must be entered to complete the registration process.

What does it cost to use the application?


Users don’t need to pay to use the application, there is no premium membership to the Zocdoc site offered.

Who would you recommend the application to?


Zocdoc is recommended to anyone in the Brooklyn or New York area who needs to schedule a visit with a doctor or dentist. It is especially helpful if the user needs an appointment quickly. The reviews of doctors and dentists that have been written by other patients are also very helpful. The site is also recommended to doctors who would like to increase their exposure. Hopefully the site will complete the planned expansion into other areas and specialties soon, as there is a need for the service nationwide.