8/15/2015

TheDoctorCanSeeYouNow.Really,RightNow.TheNewYorkTimes

TheDoctorCanSeeYouNow.Really,RightNow.
ByKARENBARROW

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OCTOBER15,20123:24PM

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Oftentheworstpartofavisittothe
doctorisnttheawkwardhospital
gown,needlesticksorembarrassing
physicalexamsitsthedrawnout
wait,campedoutinthereceptionroom
inthecompanyofsickpatientsandold
magazines.

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Duringaparticularlylongwaittosee
hisdermatologist,ParkerOks,18,
thoughttherehadtobeabetterway.
WesleyBedrosian

Theyknowapproximatelyhowlong
anappointmentwilltake,saidMr.Oks,afreshmanatBoston
University.Buttheproblemisthattheydontknowhowlongitwill
actuallytake.
ThatrealizationledMr.OkstocreateAppointmentStatus,aWeb
sitedevotedtoimprovingappointmentefficiencyandproviding
patientswithinformationtoavoidlongwaits.Workingwiththree
teenagersfromStatenIslandTechnicalHighSchool,wherehehad
gone,Mr.Oksaimstomakeiteasierforpatientstoschedule
appointmentsandtofindouthowfarbehindthedoctormaybe
beforesettlingintoawaitingroomchair.
Itsoneofseveralinnovationsmeanttohelppatients.Whilemany
digitaldevelopmentselectronicmedicalrecordsandmobile
medicalencyclopediashavestreamlineddoctorswork,newtools
forpatientsarestartingtohitcellphonesandtheInternetoffering
helpinkeepingtrackofmedications,recordingheartrateand
glucoselevelsandmanagingpersonalandfamilymedicalhistory,
amongothertasks.
AppointmentStatusisdesignedtoassistpatientsbeforetheyeven
takeaseatinawaitingroomasorepointformanypatients,as
doctorswellknow.InasurveyconductedbythedoctorreviewWeb
siteVitals,patientsreportedanaveragewaittimeof21minutesto

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TheDoctorCanSeeYouNow.Really,RightNow.TheNewYorkTimes

seeadoctor.Mississippihadthelongestreportedwaittime,atjust
over25minutes.
Somepatientssaythatsaboutaslongawaitastheywilltolerate.
Imwillingtowaittoseeadoctorforabout20minutesbeforeIgo
talktothereceptionist,andaftera45minutewait,Ialwaysleave
andreschedule,saidMaureenGreen,ajournalistfromSyracuse.
Everybodystimeisvaluable,notjustthedoctorstime.
Developersandentrepreneursarestartingtotapintothis
frustration,aswellasotherriftsindoctorpatientrelations.Mr.
Okssaidhisnextstepisamobileapptoinformpatientsabout
delays.
Anotherservice,ZocDoc,isalsomeanttohelppatientssavetime
withdoctorvisits.CreatedbyCyrusMassoumi,Dr.OliverKharraz
andNickGanju,ZocDocallowspatientstopeerintoadoctors
appointmentbookandscheduleavisitthroughtheWeb.
ZocDochasalreadybeenexpandedwithanewtool,ZocDocCheck
In,madeavailablelastmonthtohelpeliminateanothercauseof
waitingroomtedium:fillingoutaclipboardofforms.
Yourealwayshandedastackofformstofilloutwhenyouentera
doctorsoffice,saidMr.Massoumi,thechiefexecutiveofZocDoc.
Andalltheinformationis80percentthesameasthelasttimeyou
filleditout.
ZocDocCheckInalsoenterspatientspersonalinformationinother
doctorsforms,sothereisnoneedtofilloutanameanddateof
birthmultipletimes.
WhilethesekindsoftoolsarebecomingmorecommonZocDocis
nowbeingusedinmorethanathousandcitiesbydoctorsinmore
than40specialtiesMr.Oksisfacingsomeresistancetohis
AppointmentStatusapp.
AlotofthedoctorsIveapproachedaresetintheirwaysand
skeptical,Mr.Okssaid.Wevefoundsomeofficesdontevenhave
anInternetconnectionfortheirreceptionists.

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ZocDocmayhavecaughtonbecauseithelpsdoctorsaswellas
patients.
Itsawinwin,Mr.Massoumisaid.Patientsneedconveniencein
schedulingadoctorsappointment,andfromadoctorsstandpoint,
ZocDocbringsthempatientsandhelpsofficestaffmanagetheir
time.
Nevertheless,Mr.Massoumisaidittookhimawhiletoreachthe
pointthatdoctorscontacthimaboutobtainingthetechnology.
Dr.KamalRamani,ageneralpractitionerinManhattan,saidhe
adoptedZocDocthreeyearsago,whenhemovedhisofficeandwas
lookingforawaytosavetimeandmoney.
Mystaffdoesnthavetobeonthephonewithpatientssuggesting
timeslots,Dr.Ramanisaid.Itstreamlinestheappointment
makingprocessonbothends.
Atthesametime,somenewtechnologythatwasdevelopedfor
moreefficientmedicalcaredeliveryhassomebenefitsforpatients
aswell.Forinstance,despitewidespreadconcernsaboutsecurity
andthepotentialforerrors,electronicmedicalrecordscansave
patientstimeandimprovecommunication.
Dr.StevenK.Magid,arheumatologistwhoseofficeisatthe
HospitalforSpecialSurgeryinManhattan,saidthatinitiallyhewas
worriedaboutthetimecommitmentneededtoenterallofa
patientsinformationdigitally,butnowheseesthebenefits.
Itsfasterformetowritealistofmedicationsonapieceofpaper
thantodoitonthecomputer,Dr.Magidsaid.Butontheback
endIsavetimebecauseeverythingislegibleandeveryoneis
workingoffthesamelist.
Patientstreatmentinstructionsareclearlytypedout,generating
fewercallstohisofficeandtohim.Andwhenpatientsstillare
confusedoranewmatterarises,hisstaffcanaddresstheproblem
withouthimbylookinguptheinformationinthedigitalrecord.
Eventually,saysome,patientswillexpecttheirdoctorstoadopt

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thesekindsoftimesavingtools.
Theresatippingpoint,Dr.Magidsaid.Thereisgoingtobea
shift.

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