New Service Helps Find Local Doctors Online

The following was sent in by a representative of ZocDoc:

ZocDoc, a free service allowing patients to instantly find and book healthcare appointments with a local doctor online or via a free ZocDoc app, recently arrived in the Delaware Valley allowing patients to book a doctor appointment 24/7—not just during regular office hours.

ZocDoc currently has more than 166,000 available appointments in greater Philadelphia and more than 5.5 million at any given time in 11 other major metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix and San Francisco.

Wait times to get a doctor’s appointment in Philadelphia are among the longest in the country, averaging more than 27 days, according to a recent survey by Merritt Hawkins. More than 40 percent of ZocDoc users can see a doctor within 24 hours, and more than 60 percent can see a doctor within three days of booking the appointment. ZocDoc offer appointments with over 40 types of medical specialists, including general practitioners, dermatologists, OB/GYNs, dentists, eye doctors, pediatricians and many more.

By revealing the hidden supply of medical appointments, including the 10-20 percent of appointments that are cancelled last-minute, and making these time slots instantly accessible to patients, ZocDoc is improving efficiency across the healthcare system and allowing patients to get the care they need right away.

The idea for ZocDoc came to Cyrus Massoumi, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and now CEO and co-founder, when he was on a cross country flight with a sinus infection in 2007. Upon landing, his eardrum burst and he was badly in need of a doctor. It took Cyrus four days to find a doctor who accepted his insurance and could see him, and he knew there had to be a better way.

For more information, or to book a healthcare appointment immediately, please go to www.zocdoc.com.

Area towns where doctors are participating include:

Lansdale
Pottstown
Schwenksville
Collegeville
Norristown
Narberth
Haverford
Bala Cynwyd
Spring House
Jenkintown
Doylestown
Lansdale
Newtown
Holland
Bensalem
Media
Collingdale

And in New Jersey:

Trenton
Delran
Cinnaminson
Cherry Hill
Haddonfield
Turnersville

ZocDoc has also offered some healthy tools for great living in 2012:

1. ZocDoc.com:

In most major cities, the average wait time for a doctor’s appointment can average more than 20 days (and even higher in January with cold/flu season, New Year’s resolutions and health care benefits resetting spiking demand for doctors). But by revealing the “hidden supply” of doctors’ appointments (including 10-20 percent that are cancelled last minute), ZocDoc remedies the ‘aches and pains’ of long wait times. In fact, 40 percent of ZocDoc patients book an appointment within 24 hours; 60 percent within three days.

Free: www.zocdoc.com

2. Withings Body Scale:

The scale graphs your (and up to 7 others’) weight, BMI, lean and fat mass, etc. so you can access it from your smartphone or web browser at any time to keep tabs on your progress.

SRP $164; www.withings.com

3. Nike Training Club app:

This free app gives you your very own personal trainer, anytime, anywhere. Get lean, toned and strong with over 60 custom-built workouts, including new training regimens from five professional athletes, while you earn NTC reward workouts from Lea Michele and Rihanna’s personal trainer, Ary Nuñez.

Free: Apple App Store

4. Zeo Sleep Manager Mobile:

Sleep is one of the most overlooked – but one of the most important aspects – of overall health. Zeo tracks your sleep and each morning shows you how you really slept, including your time in REM and Deep sleep.

SRP $99; www.myzeo.com/sleep

5. Simplee.com:

Simplee helps you manage and understand health care expenses, offering tools and insights to optimize your health care benefits and ultimately, lower your health care costs.

Free: www.simplee.com