News Feature | October 23, 2013

What Do Your Patients Think Of You?

Source: Health IT Outcomes
Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

A new survey says most doctors are keeping track of how patients view them by reading online reviews

Online reviews can affect how patients choose their physician and, according to Physicians Practice, 80 percent of new patients screen their doctor on Google before making an appointment. With physician rating sites accounting for 60 percent of patients’ online behavior, it’s more important than ever for doctors to monitor their online profile.

ZocDoc found in its First Annual Digital Doctor Survey that, “Research suggests that online reviews may significantly affect patients’ decisions when choosing their healthcare providers, and ZocDoc’s survey results show that the physicians are keenly aware of this. Eighty-five percent of respondents proactively monitor online reviews about themselves, and 36 percent look at their competitors’ reviews.”

While there has been some controversy over reviews solicited by EHR companies, most doctors (62 percent) surveyed by ZocDoc rated online reviews as fair and 23 percent rated them as very fair.

“Patients are eager to access the healthcare system in the same way they engage with their favorite consumer brands, research hotels, or even book restaurants and flights, and it’s important for any physician practicing in today’s day and age to embrace this shift,” said Dr. Keri Peterson, an internal medicine specialist and a ZocDoc client of three years.

“As people continue to depend on these reviews to make informed healthcare choices, it will become increasingly important for patients and doctors alike to know which systems close the loop and verify all of these reviews to ensure that they are trustworthy.”

If you aren’t already keeping tabs on your online reputation, Physicians Practice gives five free and easy ways to monitor your digital appearance:

  • Google your name
  • Immediately sign up for Google Alerts for your name and anything you hold dear about your practice, reputation, and brands. Put quotation marks around those key phrases.
  • If you have a website, install Google Analytics. After a week, review where people are coming from on the Internet under tab “Traffic Sources.”
  • Check the first page of Google results and look for negative comments or ratings sites with zero reviews to three reviews. These are the physician rating sites that can severely impact your reputation with even one negative comment.
  • You can do two things at this point: Embrace patient reviews and customer service into your daily routine or wait for the inevitable to happen.