Zocdoc: Patients valued in-person, timely access to care in 2025

Priority on strong patient-provider relationship continues

Perhaps most telling is patients' strong preference for a healthy patient-provider relationship. According to the data, patients are looking for in-person care with a healthcare provider they connect with.

Notably, 93% of all non-mental health appointments were scheduled in-person, the data showed. This was true even of Gen Z; 92% of appointments booked by this age group were for in-person care.

And it's not just the physical connection patients seek. Patients also want a deep patient-provider relationship, with survey respondents ranking a "positive connection" as the top factor when choosing a doctor. The patient-provider relationship ranks even higher than online ratings or clinic location.

Still, those ratings rely on a deep provider connection, the survey added. The most common words used when leaving a 5-star provider review included "comfortable," "safe," "listens carefully," "like family" and "exceptional care."

Beyond the patient-provider relationship, patients want timely access to care, Zocdoc said. This comes as separate reports show increasing appointment wait times. In May 2025, AMN Healthcare reported that the average appointment wait time was 31 days.

Patients are looking for -- and getting -- a different experience when booking online with Zocdoc, the company's internal data shows. About a third of users had appointments within 48 hours of booking, and 51% had an appointment within four days of booking.

Urgent care, psychiatry, ear/nose/throat (ENT) and primary care were the top specialties in which patients were seen most quickly.

When patients find the right doc, loyalty abounds

Patients are choosey when it comes to searching for the right healthcare provider. Motivated by the key factors listed above -- deep relationships, in-person appointments and timely access to care -- patients sift through numerous providers before they find the right one. According to the Zocdoc data, patients look at an average of 21 providers before selecting a doctor.

But if that doctor delivers on patient priorities, loyalty is high. Notably, 84% of Zocdoc users returned to the same provider for future appointments when booking within the same specialty. Patient loyalty was highest among ENT, allergy, podiatry, psychology and physical therapy.

But although patients are loyal to their providers, empowerment and patient engagement are flagging, the data showed. Indeed, the Patient Empowerment Index, which Zocdoc developed to measure how much control and comfort patients feel with their health, dropped to a three-year low in 2025 to 50.6. That's down from 55.8 in 2024.

The number of people saying they have "no control at all" over their care increased to 6.2%, a 35% jump from 2023. Another 18.6% of respondents reported issues with healthcare access, a 25% increase from 2023.

Patient healthcare experiences shaped by cultural landscape

Notably, patient healthcare experiences and needs have been shaped by news and cultural events this year, Zocdoc said.

For example, patients are seeking mental healthcare at higher rates, with therapy bookings jumping into the top 10 visit types in 2025. A sizeable 57% of survey respondents said this year's events affected their physical or mental health, and a third said both have been affected.

High-profile diagnoses, such as President Joe Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis, led to a 436% spike in searches for prostate cancer screening and care. Meanwhile, the insurgence of weight loss medications, especially used by celebrities, inspired a 42% increase in weight loss care searches.

Patient experiences are also being shaped by new digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. About a third of survey respondents used tools like ChatGPT for healthcare advice weekly, while 1 in 10 used AI for healthcare advice every day.

Still, some healthcare trends are perennial. Specifically, the specter of rising healthcare costs continues to plague patients, most of whom are booking appointments with their pocketbooks in mind.

Nearly all (92%) appointments booked on Zocdoc were in-network, the company said, while nearly five out of six appointments were paid for with commercial insurance. Patients were mostly willing to go out-of-network or self-pay for cosmetic procedures, such as plastic surgery consultations, filler and anti-aging treatments. It should be noted that cosmetic procedures such as the ones listed are never covered by insurance.

These trends are expected to shape the healthcare landscape in 2026, Zocdoc predicted. For example, although human-led care is expected to remain a top priority for both patients and provider, AI will emerge as a key tool for pre-care tasks, such as patient navigation and booking.

And set amid a backdrop of shifting insurance costs and rising healthcare expenditures, organizations can expect to see mostly patients who are in-network. To gain the patient loyalty of cost-conscious consumers, organizations should ensure their insurance information and provider directory information is up to date.

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.