A patient moves to a new state and needs to schedule their annual checkup. They fire up an AI chat and within seconds, they see some helpful info: what preventive care is covered, how to request their past medical records, and what to ask during a new patient visit. But, they still need to find a local doctor. See who’s taking new patients. Verify insurance.
To actually get on a doctor’s schedule, they must start again from scratch.
That’s why Zocdoc is partnering to bring real-time, agentic scheduling directly into Google Gemini app, helping people to move seamlessly from exploring high quality health information to seeing a doctor.
A fundamental change in where care starts
Increasingly, people are starting their care journey today on AI platforms. For many, AI is faster and easier than navigating traditional paths. In fact, 65% of patients say they’ve used AI for exactly that reason, according to a 2026 survey in Zocdoc’s AI-Informed Patient report. Providers have noticed: 85% report seeing more patients who come in having used AI to understand their symptoms.
But exploring health information isn’t the same as getting clinical care. Zocdoc’s survey found that 23% want to use both AI and their clinician to manage their health.
The new era of connected care
The Zocdoc and Google Gemini app integration helps patients move from researching a health question to agentic appointment booking with an in-network provider in one connected experience.
- For patients, this means connecting to care faster and easier. Instead of jumping between disconnected search experiences, Google Gemini app helps them find appointments easily with in-network providers, real availability, and options that fit their needs.
- For providers, this changing behavior redefines how patients find care. As AI becomes the initial front door to healthcare, traditional search marketing alone won’t cut it. Providers need to be visible and bookable wherever patients turn first.
What this means for your practice
Being visible on AI search platforms creates a new way to reach high-intent patients when they’re ready to take the next step to book care. In fact, 62% of providers in Zocdoc’s survey said patients should use AI to figure out what kind of provider to see. AI is becoming increasingly integrated into the care decision-making process. The partnership supports provider growth in a few distinct ways:
- Seamless visibility with no extra setup. Providers on Zocdoc automatically become bookable from Google Gemini app as long as they have appointment availability (no additional integration required).
- Access to high-intent patients. Reach patients earlier in their care journey when they’re deciding who to see.
- Presence across channels. AI is just one of many places that patients look for care. From search engines to insurance directories to consumer sites, being consistently bookable across channels is now table stakes.
Booking fees depend on how people find you. If people discover you while searching for care options through the Zocdoc and Gemini app integration, standard booking fees apply. Learn more.
Together, these channels support both sides of the patient journey: direct lookup when they already know who you are, and active discovery when they don’t.
Opening a new digital front door to care
As the ways patients find care changes, the goal for providers remains the same: to be there when and wherever patients are ready to book.
If you’re new to Zocdoc, learn more about how to connect with millions of patients actively looking for care.
For a deeper look at how AI is changing patient care, explore Zocdoc’s AI-Informed Patient report.