California's Blue Shield, a ZOCDOC partner to help members arrange care
Schedule an appointment can be a major challenge for patients, often forcing them to browse multiple portals, download new apps, or deal with outdated directories.
That's why California Blue Shield, which has a 6 million member nonprofit health program, announced it has partnered with New York City-based Zocdoc, an online marketplace that helps patients find and make appointments with providers within the network.
Through this partnership, Zocdoc's technology has been embedded in the Blue Shield of California's “Find Doctor” feature, where people can find providers based on location, planning, nursing majors, and more. They can use it in virtual and in-person care to meet a variety of needs, including primary care, professional care, mental health, vision and dentistry.
ZOCDOC's scheduling software is also embedded in the provider side. Providers of the network with California Blue Shield can integrate their practice calendar with ZOCDOC so patients can make their availability and appointments to their calendar. This is free for the provider.
“When we think about how to improve the membership experience of scheduling nursing appointments, we have two options: we can build this feature ourselves, or we can work with people who already have expertise and can work with Zocdoc, we choose to work with Zocdoc because they have chosen over 18 years of experience with online dating appointment bookings.
Previously, members would have had to call the doctor's office or go to the provider's app or website arrangement. They can also schedule virtual care appointments through Accolade and Telemed2U, but this is not a tool to find a doctor.
Oliver Kharraz, founder and CEO of the company, said this is Zocdoc's first collaboration with the health program.
“This is an extension outside of the power plan we are looking for care in the market, including in the provider directory of health plans,” Halalaz said. “We are actively exploring other forward-looking payers who want to modernize the discoverer experience of their members.”
Partnerships are many patients fighting outdated scheduling systems. According to a recent Zocdoc survey, more than half of patients were unable to report delayed care by phone (54%), and one-third (33%) said they had fully scheduled a visit. Meanwhile, a Kyruus Health survey shows that 61% of consumers say online dating plans are important when choosing a new provider.
Shah said the main goal in this partnership in California is to “make sure every member can find and schedule an appointment when needed.”
“We want to make it as easy as possible for our members to care for their care so that they can master overall health and well-being,” he added. “We understand that outdated scheduling systems have become a major barrier to health access and we are excited to work with Zocdoc to remove these barriers by providing our members with simple, real-time appointment availability and scheduling options.”
Other online dispatch companies include the needs and vitality of doctors.
Image source: Sorbetto, Getty Images
