Patients can now chat with a nurse for free to receive live, personalized healthcare guidance

Nurse-1-1 and Zocdoc have come together to help patients gain peace of mind while reducing the strain on the healthcare system during a critical time

In light of the recent spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the team at Nurse-1-1 is leveraging its existing on-demand nurse chat platform to provide every person in the United States with immediate access to a trusted nurse, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. This tool will allow all patients to contact a nurse digitally, remotely, and faster than trying to reach their existing provider, ultimately reducing the increasing burden on our healthcare system during this time of uncertainty.

As part of this nationwide effort, Nurse-1-1 is enabling chats – free through Zocdoc’s platform – with its network of over 750 experienced nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to support patients’ questions related to COVID-19 in addition to any other medical questions or concerns they may have. Chats are live, instant, and text and photo-based. To access the free chats, patients in the U.S. can visit zocdoc.com/coronavirus and click “Chat now” to ask their personal, health-related questions. From there, they’ll get real-time support from a network of highly experienced licensed nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants for free. 

“At a time when the healthcare system is increasingly strained and public health efforts are focused on mitigating community spread, we feel it is our responsibility to quickly introduce new ways to help patients digitally access care,” said Oliver Kharraz, M.D., Zocdoc founder and CEO. “By teaming up with Nurse-1-1 and their experienced network, we can help patients instantly get free guidance on their health-related questions and concerns when they need support most.”

“Nurse-1-1 is a new way of delivering personalized, secure and immediate healthcare information and guidance to worried patients,” said Michael Sheeley, co-founder and CEO of Nurse-1-1. “We are proud to partner with Zocdoc to provide free chats through their platform with our network of over 750 nurses during a time when patients and families are struggling for answers.”

In line with Nurse-1-1’s mission to provide accessible and compassionate healthcare for all, this free offering aims to help patients quickly feel more informed and assured when it comes to their healthcare concerns – regardless of whether they’re at-risk, the ‘worried well’, or in good health. It also helps reduce unnecessary visits and call volumes to healthcare providers by giving people with non-urgent cases a faster, easier way to get healthcare information and guidance remotely.

Launched from Harvard University’s Innovation Lab, Nurse-1-1 is the digital doorway to healthcare for the billions of worried patients searching for information about their health concerns every day. Its proprietary smart-routing technology connects anybody with a licensed nurse within seconds. Outside of this partnership with Zocdoc, chats are either free or cost $12.50, depending on whether the patient’s provider, insurance plan, digital health service, or any local clinic is partnered with Nurse-1-1. If those aren’t available, patients can pay $12.50 (which is less than most consultation copays) to chat with an independent nurse. Nurse chats will not result in a prescription, diagnosis, or be a replacement for visiting a provider. However, they will provide helpful guidance and follow up instructions. 

Nurse-1-1 partners with providers, health plans, and digital health services to guide patients on how best to navigate the healthcare system at a fraction of the cost of traditional nurse call centers. To learn more about how you can partner with Nurse-1-1 to provide free nurse chats to your patients or members, click here.

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About Nurse-1-1

Nurse-1-1 is an on-demand nurse chat that allows anybody to chat securely and immediately with a nurse 24/7 for healthcare information and guidance. Our mission is to provide accessible and compassionate healthcare to the billions of worried patients searching for information about their health concerns every day. With a network of over 750 highly experienced nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, we reach patients through personalized, live, text and photo-based nurse chats, providing trusted health information so they can make better decisions about where they should turn to for care. Visit nurse-1-1.com for more information.

About Zocdoc

Zocdoc is the tech company at the beginning of a better healthcare experience. Each month, millions of patients use Zocdoc.com or our iOS and Android apps to find in-network neighborhood doctors, instantly book appointments online, see what other real patients have to say, get reminders for upcoming appointments and preventive checkups, fill out their paperwork online, and more. With a mission to give power to the patient, Zocdoc’s online marketplace delivers the accessible and simple experience patients expect and deserve.