Websites that allow patients to book physician appointments online are becoming increasingly popular as doctors work to reduce their overhead costs and patients strive to book appointments sooner, Kaiser Health News/USA Today reports.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, about 16% of family physicians used online scheduling tools in 2009, up from 6% in 2005. Some of the other factors fueling the growth of online scheduling applications could include:
Doctors becoming more comfortable with computers and other electronic tools; and
The online physician scheduling website ZocDoc began in 2007 in New York City and has expanded to Chicago, Dallas and the Washington, D.C., area. About 40% of the appointments made on the website take place within one day of booking and almost 85% of appointments are new patients.
Although patients do not have to pay to book an appointment, doctors pay about $250 monthly to be listed on the site. The website offers information on physicians’:
Educational background;
Hospital affiliations;
Language spoken;
Patient reviews; and
Professional memberships.
Health in Reach, another online scheduling tool, started in September 2010 as a service for patients in Los Angeles. The company receives income by charging doctors a fee for confirmed appointments (Galewitz, Kaiser Health News/USA Today, 1/4).
