ZocDoc Launches in Spanish, Helping Improve Access to Medical Care for Hispanic Patients

USA - English

• Latin America - español

NEW YORK, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ZocDoc, a company with a mission of improving patient access to healthcare, today introduces ZocDoc en Espanol – a Spanish-language version of their service which will make it even easier for Hispanic patients to find Spanish-speaking doctors and instantly book appointments online. With more than 1.3 million patients throughout the country already using ZocDoc, the new Spanish-language site will make it even easier for Hispanic patients to use this free service to secure fast access to care.

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ZocDoc allows patients to find a doctor or dentist nearby who accepts their insurance, view the doctor's real-time availability, and instantly book an appointment online. The service also helps patients see a doctor faster; most ZocDoc patients see a doctor in 24 to 72 hours – a vast improvement from the average three week wait that patients in the US experience when seeing a physician.

Nearly 40 percent of doctors listed on ZocDoc speak Spanish, and with the introduction of ZocDoc en Espanol, the company will be able to better serve the fastest-growing population in the US. Currently, more than one in six US residents is Hispanic, and more than half of the growth in the total US population between 2000 and 2010 was due to the increase in the Hispanic population.

"Research shows that language barriers cause patients to delay care, in many cases postponing important preventive checkups and even delaying treatment of more acute health issues," said ZocDoc CEO Cyrus Massoumi. "With the launch of ZocDoc en Espanol, we hope to empower the many millions of Spanish-speaking patients throughout the country to get the fast access to quality care that they need and deserve."

According to the US Census Bureau, more than 60 percent of US Hispanics speak Spanish at home and nearly half of Spanish speakers say they need "English assistance." As health outcomes are largely dependent on flawless communication with healthcare providers, patients who cannot speak with a doctor in their native language are more likely to have poorer health outcomes. Hispanics generally report feeling less understood by their doctors, as well as less able to understand their doctors, and they are twice as likely to leave a doctor's office with unasked questions.

To use this free service, patients simply enter their location, insurance, and the type of doctor they would like to see on the ZocDoc en Espanol website (espanol.zocdoc.com) or the free ZocDoc mobile app. The service then shows local Spanish-speaking doctors' availability, credentials, and verified patient reviews to help patients choose the physician who best fits their needs. Patients then select an available appointment time and complete a brief confirmation process. Additionally, ZocDoc's free mobile apps for iPhone and Android allow patients to find doctors and secure appointments anytime, anywhere – whether the doctor's office is open or closed.

ZocDoc helps empower patients by revealing a hidden supply of doctor appointments (including many last-minute cancellations) and making them instantly available online. This transparency reduces patients' long wait times and increases efficiency for local doctors' practices – a vital service given the country's current doctor shortage.

ZocDoc en Espanol currently offers medical appointments in 19 major metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Palm Beach, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington, DC.

About ZocDoc

ZocDoc, founded in 2007, is improving access to healthcare by enabling patients to search for doctors, sort by location and insurance accepted, read verified reviews, and instantly book an appointment online or via the free ZocDoc Apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. More than 1.3 million people use ZocDoc to find a doctor or dentist each month. To learn more about ZocDoc, please visit the ZocDoc press room. Follow the latest ZocDoc news on the ZocDoc blog, via Twitter, or on Facebook.

CONTACT: Jessica Aptman, +1-212-715-8647, [email protected]

SOURCE ZocDoc