From Barfing to Puking -- Zocdoc Tailors Its Search to Understand Patients' Colloquialisms

Microsite Collects Users' Alternative Medical Terms to Expand 'Patient-Powered' Search

Published On
Mar 21, 2017
Patient-Powered Search

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Online medical site Zocdoc is helping patients further with their medical symptoms by developing a "patient-powered" search tool that helps them search for the right terms.

The new tool allows patients to describe symptoms, and Zocdoc's new interface is able to translate colloquial language and symptoms, and even accounts for misspellings. To boost this, Zocdoc's creative agency Office of Baby created a microsite search tool where people can type in their symptoms in the colloquial terms they might use, in a bid to expand patient-powered search's vocabulary.

Each description typed in the search bar -- from "tummy ache" and "menopaws" to "bun in the oven," and even emojis --- will be collected and added to Zocdoc's search tool permanently.

This is just the latest in Office of Baby's unusual marketing approaches for Zocdoc, which have included a campaign encouraging people to take "Unsick Days" and a surprising VR doctor's office tool.