The Problem
Patients booking appointments through Zocdoc still had to fill out paperwork when they arrived at the doctor's office. This created friction, wasted time in waiting rooms, and often led to incomplete or inaccurate information.
The goal was to enable patients to complete their pre-appointment paperwork digitally, from their phones, before they ever walked into the office.
My Contributions
Intake Product Design
Designed the complete Intake product that allowed patients to fill out pre-appointment paperwork online. This included forms, document uploads, insurance verification, and a streamlined mobile experience.
Patient Communications Audit
Led an initiative to improve patient communications by auditing all pre-appointment touchpoints — emails, notifications, reminders. Identified gaps and inconsistencies, then redesigned the communication flow.
App Engagement Strategy
Created a strategy for the app engagement squad to drive return bookings with app features. Focused on re-engagement flows and feature discovery to increase booking frequency.
Design Approach
The Intake product needed to work for a wide range of medical practices with different requirements. I designed a flexible system that could accommodate various form types while maintaining a consistent, user-friendly experience.
Key design decisions included progressive disclosure (showing only relevant fields), smart defaults based on previous visits, and clear progress indicators to reduce abandonment.
Impact
The Intake product became a key differentiator for Zocdoc, giving patients a reason to book through the platform and reducing friction for medical practices.
Key Takeaways
- Healthcare has unique constraints — Privacy, compliance, and accuracy requirements shaped every design decision
- Communication is product — The audit revealed that touchpoints before an appointment are as important as the booking flow
- Mobile-first matters — Most patients complete paperwork on their phones, often while commuting