How Physicians Can Manage Negative Online Reviews

by Renée Bacher •

Pay attention to the accuracy of the data that is online about you. Search engine optimization increases the amount of traffic to your website through unpaid search engine results. If the information on your practice site is accurate (i.e., correct address, phone number, properly spelled names), chances are greater that your site will pop up first in a Google search. “Because it is all machine driven, what they’re looking for is consistency. If there are 64 Doctor Smiths in Anytown, Ohio, and they find they all have different data about them, they’re not going to rank as well as if there’s consolidation and they all refer to the same address, phone number, and specialty,” she said. Most sites have an easy way to update your information. Google has “Google my Business.” Healthgrades has “Update on Healthgrades.com.” The best strategy is to Google your name, practice, specialty area, and location, and you’ll see what the top ranking results are for your area. If there are inaccuracies, most sites allow you to submit updated information or review or validate information.

For most patients, said Pearson, looking up a physician online is the first interaction they have with their doctor. “You really have to think of that as an extension of your practice,” she added.

Renée Bacher is a freelance medical writer based in Louisiana.

Reputation Management Tools

These free and low-cost tools can help you monitor patient satisfaction and manage your online reputation.

  • Go Fish: Searches more than 40 websites for negative reviews.
  • Google Alerts. You can set up notifications that will send you alerts when new content about you is posted online.
  • Twilert: This Twitter tool will alert you to tweets containing your name.
  • Yext: Helps manage facts about you across the web.

The Dos and Don’ts of Handling Negative Reviews

Do:

  1. Apologize and show compassion. Apologize and show compassion. Apologize for their bad experience, acknowledge that you care about the relationship, and reassure them that resolving the issue and restoring their satisfaction is a high priority.
  2. Respond promptly. Responding in a timely fashion shows the poster (and others reading your response) that you care about your patients.
  3. Give thanks. Thank the patient for leaving feedback, even though it was negative.

Definitely Do Not:

  1. Ignore the bad review. If you do, you’ll miss an opportunity to provide good customer service.
  2. Threaten litigation publicly. This can only snowball and make you look combative. No matter how good your surgical skills may be, nobody wants to have a consult with a doctor who seems aggressive or threatening in any way.
  3. Discuss patient details publicly. That is a violation of HIPAA laws. Even though you may want to defend your reputation, do so by inviting the patient who complains online to call your office so you can handle their private information with the utmost care and respect.