Zocdoc introduces Zocdoc Video Service: a free, HIPAA-compliant telehealth video service any provider can use for video visits with their full patient panel

As COVID-19 accelerates America’s adoption of telehealth, Zocdoc’s new, free video solution makes it simple for providers to rapidly shift to virtual care

Originally published May 13, 2020

Zocdoc, the country’s leading digital healthcare marketplace, announced today that it has launched Zocdoc Video Service: a free, HIPAA-compliant telehealth video solution. Any provider can sign up to use Zocdoc Video Service, at no charge, to facilitate all of their virtual appointments — whether their patients schedule a video visit through Zocdoc or not. This new offering is a part of Zocdoc’s ongoing efforts to adapt its platform for telehealth, helping patients access care from home and helping providers keep their digital doors open to meet the persisting demand for virtual care.

The new Zocdoc Video Service was designed to support providers’ accelerated adoption of telehealth and deliver a seamless virtual care experience to their patients amid COVID-19 and beyond. A recent study conducted by Merritt Hawkins reported that nearly half of all physicians in America (48%) are now treating patients virtually, which is a ~170% increase from 2018 survey results. With virtual care encounters on pace to exceed one billion by the end of 2020, roughly three-quarters (76%) of providers surveyed by Ipsos said they will offer more telehealth appointments as an option in the future, even after their in-person visits return.

“Zocdoc has always helped providers and patients seamlessly connect, and Zocdoc Video Service is a natural extension for our business as telehealth becomes a permanent part of America’s healthcare delivery,” said Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz, M.D. “Providers are being asked to reimagine how they care for their patients, and we are pleased we can offer all providers the technology to facilitate all of their video visits for free.”

Zocdoc Video Service offers healthcare providers a simple, secure way to see their patients virtually. To take advantage of this new service, providers are not required to join Zocdoc’s Marketplace, where millions of patients seeking care find and book in-person or video visits with participating providers. Providers who participate in Zocdoc’s Marketplace can also opt in to use Zocdoc Video Service at no additional charge.

Key benefits of Zocdoc Video Service include:

• Free of Charge. To support providers’ shift toward telehealth, Zocdoc Video Service is available to all providers (and in turn, their patients) at no charge.
• HIPAA Compliant. Unlike many free video offerings, Zocdoc Video Service is secure and fully HIPAA compliant.
• Simple to Use. Providers simply send patients one link to their virtual waiting room and can easily initiate a patient’s virtual appointment right from their browser. Patients simply click to join the waiting room at their appointment time; they do not need a Zocdoc account, or a specific app or device, to have a video visit with their provider through Zocdoc Video Service.
• Works for Care Organizations of All Sizes. From solo practitioners to large health systems, Zocdoc Video Service can scale to support care organizations of any size.
• Reliable Connection. Clear video technology, powered by Twilio, that delivers a seamless patient-provider virtual encounter.

“Zocdoc has made it incredibly easy for my practice to quickly transition to telehealth for the first time so we can continue to treat patients who need care now,” said Dr. Laura Rogers, MD, an allergist in Chicago, IL. “With the new Zocdoc Video Service, it’s simpler and more seamless than ever to see all of my patients virtually, whether they booked through Zocdoc or not.”

This new service launches just weeks after Zocdoc announced it began enabling video visit bookings through its platform for the first time. Today, there are more than one million video visit appointments across nearly 100 different specialties available on Zocdoc’s Marketplace. Nearly 8,000 providers have already signed up to offer video visits through Zocdoc, making it one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing telehealth platforms.

If you’d like more details about the new Zocdoc Video Service, please reach out to us at press@zocdoc.com.