You can now search for a doctor using emoji, because 2017 is sorrow
Feeling heartburn? Just type ❤️🔥.
Zocdoc, an online service that helps you find doctors and schedule appointments, has revamped its search to be more user-friendly. It's calling the initiative "patient-powered search," and it's all about finding ways to help those in need speak naturally, according to the company's blog post.
SEE ALSO: Google's new messaging app translates your voice into emoji 🎉
The revamp aims to address the "disconnect between medical speak and patients' own colloquial language—think 'gyno' not 'obstetrician-gynecologist.'" This also means you can search for doctors with emoji.
There's 🐱🤧 for allergies, ❤️🔥 for heartburn and ✈️💊 for travel medicine. You can even use the 💩 emoji to find and book with a gastroenterologist.
"We see it more as a fun addition to the experience, rather than a core feature of the product" a representative from Zocdoc said via email.
Is this really necessary, though? The emojification of apps of every kind is far from new, and it's getting a bit ridiculous. While it's important especially in areas like health care to make experiences as user friendly as possible, we don't need Zocdoc to behave like our actual friends do.
Forcing emoji into apps results in combinations like 👙☀️ for dermatologist and 🎂 for primary care physician—at which point, they're not even useful. Sorry Zocdoc, we give this one a 👎.
