Zocdoc Reports: A Year in Women's Health

The Mother's Day Edition of Zocdoc's booking trends report points to women increasingly taking care of their health during all life stages

NEW YORK, May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc, the leading healthcare marketplace that makes it easy for people to find and book in-person or virtual care across +200 specialties and +12k insurance plans, today announced "Zocdoc Reports: A Year in Women's Health", a comprehensive data analysis, of women's health-related appointment booking trends.

In honor of Mother's Day, Zocdoc explored how American women are engaging with healthcare professionals, and how that has evolved in the past year, by analyzing its aggregated women's health appointment booking data from January-April 2021 to January-April 2022.

The data shows that across the board, women are increasingly seeking preventive care, after many people delayed well visits, including annual appointments, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, while not all women are mothers, whether by choice or circumstance, the data sheds light on the healthcare habits of women who have or want to have biological children – from preconception counseling, to prenatal and postnatal care, and beyond – as well as those seeking contraceptive care.

An ounce of prevention…
In the early stages of the pandemic, many people put off their annual preventive healthcare visits in favor of staying out of medical offices. Now, with nearly 90% of adults having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and pandemic-related restrictions lifted across the nation, women are once again embracing wellness and non-urgent care appointments. Between January-April 2021 and January-April 2022:

• Well woman exam appointments increased by 42%
• Mammography appointments increased by 41%
• Breast cancer examination/screening appointments increased by 28%
• Annual pap smear/GYN appointments increased by 19%

Preparing for tomorrow, today
Early data on U.S. birth trends during the pandemic indicates that a significant number of Americans put off having children during this unprecedented time. But many are not permanently shelving the idea of pregnancy; fertility clinics have reported a significant rise in women using their services. This trend toward mindful family planning is reflected in Zocdoc bookings. Between January-April 2021 and January-April 2022:

• Egg freezing and extraction/fertility preservation appointments increased by 78%
• Fertility awareness/natural family planning appointments increased by 37%
• Pre-conception counseling appointments increased by 20%
• Fertility counseling appointments increased by 18%
• IUD insertion appointments increased by 11%
• Contraception-related appointments increased by 10%

Mother knows (that going to the doctor is) best
While postpartum depression spiked significantly and stress and uncertainty about prenatal care increased during the early stage of the pandemic, women are heading back to healthcare providers to get the pregnancy-related care they need. Between January-April 2021 and January-April 2022:

• Prenatal care appointments increased by 50%
• Postpartum depression and anxiety appointments increased by 41%
• Postpartum care appointments increased by 30%

Asking for help
Women have unique health needs and access the healthcare system more frequently than men, yet have historically experienced gender bias when seeking care. But with awareness of disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome growing, and increased efforts by healthcare professionals to help the 1.3 million women who become menopausal in the U.S. each year manage their symptoms, more women are getting help with some common conditions. Between January-April 2021 and January-April 2022:

• Endometriosis appointments increased by 23%
• Menopause-related appointments increased by 11%
• Polycystic ovary syndrome appointments increased by 10%

For more information, contact [email protected]. If you are a healthcare provider who wants to reach new patients and offer seamless access to care — in-person or virtually — you can learn more at zocdoc.com/join.

About Zocdoc
Zocdoc is a leading digital healthcare marketplace for in-person or virtual care. Each month, millions of people use our free service, via Zocdoc.com or the Zocdoc app, to find in-network doctors, instantly book in-person or virtual appointments, read reviews from verified users, get reminders for upcoming appointments and preventive checkups, and more. With a mission to give power to the patient, Zocdoc's platform delivers the accessible and simple experience they expect and deserve.

Contact
Sandra Glading
[email protected]

SOURCE Zocdoc