Healthcare reviews: a complete guide

Today, when people search for a new doctor, they often turn to Google. It’s become a common practice. And here’s an interesting tidbit: according to recent Birdeye research, a whopping 74% of consumers check out reviews before deciding on a service provider. So, those online reviews really matter! 

One of the first things a consumer will see is a doctor’s online reviews, making healthcare reviews one of the most significant factors determining whether your practice gets chosen over the competition. 

Let’s talk about how your practice can start winning in the game of online reviews and attract new patients.

Why do healthcare reviews matter to healthcare providers?

Remember, the healthcare system can often be scary to experience as a patient — especially one who’s already concerned about their overall well-being. 

Chances are that they’ve heard horror stories like a missed diagnosis or a ridiculous overcharge. If they’re under a great deal of stress, even factors like the friendliness of your front desk staff can be a cause for concern. That’s why your practice must display social proof in the form of patient reviews. 

When five hundred of your happy patients leave glowing reviews, it helps lessen their fears. That’s why reviews have quickly become one of the most valued online resources for patients seeking the best care.

Healthcare reviews and getting your practice discovered

Today, the search for a doctor begins online, and healthcare reviews are a big part of ranking high in relevant search results. According to Moz, reviews are the 3rd-biggest factor determining your review ranking.  

Why? Healthcare reviews appear on page 1 of search results because they are full of fresh, unique content that search engines love. Practices with more reviews and higher ratings on various sites have a significant advantage regarding search ranking. 

Some of you might have spent years running successful practices without online reviews. But times are changing. According to Google, “near me” searches have increased 350% in the last ten years. Without reviews, it will be tough for your practice to appear in these searches. As time passes, it seems like more and more patients will choose practices this way.What does a good healthcare reputation management strategy look like? We’ll go over that in just a bit. But first, let’s talk about something that every healthcare provider is concerned about—HIPAA compliance.

Staying HIPAA-compliant 

Every healthcare practice wants to ensure that it’s properly protecting patient data. So let’s get this out of the way: requesting and sharing reviews are in no way a violation of HIPAA. We’ve worked with thousands of successful healthcare practices to both collect and manage reviews without running afoul of HIPAA. It’s not wrong to ask a patient for feedback. Once a review is posted publicly, sharing it on social media or your website is not a violation. 

However, there is one area where practices need to be vigilant about maintaining patient privacy: responding to reviews. We’ll go into more detail about properly responding to reviews later in the article. 

Start collecting patient reviews

Reviews are a great way to build trust with your potential patients. The problem is that patients often don’t think about leaving reviews of healthcare practices. After all, since the insurance company handles payment, it may not feel like a transactional relationship, like a restaurant. 

To start collecting patient reviews, simply send a text message to your patient with a simple message like this: “Thanks for visiting (practice name). Please leave us feedback by clicking the link.” 

We recommend leaving a direct link to a review site like Google. That way, the process is quick and easy for your patients. All they have to do is click the link and leave a review. 

Respond to patient reviews 

There are a couple of reasons why you should respond to patient reviews. First off, it helps your practice’s visibility. Google has confirmed that responding to patient reviews will help your practice rank higher in search results. 

Responding to reviews is also a great way to deal with negative patient feedback. A 1-star review is usually just a patient raising their hand and asking for your help with an issue. By responding quickly and taking the conversation offline, there’s a good chance you can convince the patient to edit or delete their original review. 

Before you start responding to reviews, remember HIPAA compliance. Do not identify the reviewer as a patient. Something like “Thanks, hope to see you again soon,” could be considered a breach of privacy. Instead, make sure that your responses are deliberately vague and do not refer to the reviewer as a patient. A response such as “We strive to make all of our patients happy”, will not be considered a violation of HIPAA.

Use patient reviews as social proof

Again, reviews are an effective tool for reducing your patients’ fears. So make sure that they’re prominently displayed wherever your prospective patients look. We recommend sharing your 5-star reviews on platforms like Facebook and Twitter to highlight the opinions of your most satisfied patients. 

You can also share social proof by placing a review widget on your website. This way, visitors will be able to see the opinions of your happiest patients immediately — helping them understand what kind of patient experience they can expect from you.

Improving patient experience with reviews

Again, reviews are an effective tool for reducing your patients’ fears. So make sure that they’re prominently displayed wherever your prospective patients look. We recommend sharing your 5-star reviews on platforms like Facebook and Twitter to highlight the opinions of your most satisfied patients. 

You can also share social proof by placing a review widget on your website. This way, visitors will be able to see the opinions of your happiest patients immediately — helping them understand what kind of patient experience they can expect from you. 

Healthcare reviews in brief

Online reviews are the first impression patients get of your practice. It’s not only important to pay attention to what people are saying about your services online. To build the trust and credibility required to get new patients, you also need to regularly generate new reviews, interact with patient feedback, and leverage great testimonials for marketing purposes.

Frequently asked questions about healthcare reviews

The top 4 healthcare review sites

You might wonder what websites you should pay attention to. Here are some of the biggest healthcare review sites. 

Google 

Right now, Google is the world’s biggest review site. Click here to read our complete guide on Google reviews. 

Facebook 

Facebook is not only a great place to engage with your patients, but also the 2nd-biggest review site in the world. Click here to read our complete guide on Facebook reviews. 

Healthgrades 

Healthgrades is a healthcare-specific site that features reviews for doctors and dentists. Currently, the site features more than 7 million reviews from actual patients. 

Vitals 

Another industry-specific site that you should pay attention to is Vitals. The site features more than 1 million profiles from healthcare providers and 9 million reviews from patients. 

How Birdeye can help with healthcare reviews 

When it comes to healthcare reviews, look no further than Birdeye Reviews. Birdeye Reviews is a feature-rich, one-stop-shop for all of your review management needs, with capabilities including: 

• Integration with most healthcare practice management software
• Automated review requests following patient visits or triggered by time/ activity. 
• Review monitoring and analytics across over 150 sites
• Review sharing capabilities for social media, embedding reviews
• And much more!

Use Birdeye’s online review management platform to strengthen patient relationships and elevate your healthcare practice.