How Healthy are Your Online Patient Reviews?

Majority of Online Patient Reviews are Positive

Each month, Americans conduct more than 100 million health-related searches online, roughly 15% of which focus on doctors and their backgrounds. After visiting a practice’s site, the most likely target for continued research is reviews associated with a practice’s Google profile, and review sites such as Yelp.com and RateMDs.com.

While online patient reviews are often the cause of anxiety, a recent study conducted by Nielsen Media Research shows they can be extremely valuable: after first asking people they know for recommendations, consumers turn to online reviews as the second most trusted source for online reviews. [1] Because we know a majority of potential patients will read online reviews during their research, simply avoiding the topic is no longer an option.

Stay Positive: Patient Reviews are a Valuable Asset

An important fact to remember when delving into the complicated and sweat-inducing world of patient reviews is that an overwhelming majority of online reviews are positive. Because the average consumer mentions specific brand names over 90 times each week in conversations with family, friends, and co-workers, there are plenty of opportunities to capitalize on patient reviews. [2]

Visit the Rosemont Media Facebook page and post your patient review questions. Then, stay tuned to the Rosemont Review as we continue our month long series focusing on online reviews, and how to turn them into a valuable asset for your practice.

Be Proactive: Turn Satisfied Patients into Practice Advocates

In the healthcare industry in general, and especially with the aesthetic healthcare practices of plastic surgeons and cosmetic dentists, satisfied patients can have a tremendous impact on website performance and overall reach across the internet. More importantly however, practices that are proactive with patient reviews can forge stronger relationships with their patients, and turn their satisfaction into an influential source of practice advocacy that will speak directly to potential patients researching online.

As eConsultancy reports, 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know, and 70% trust the opinions of unknown users and reviews. [2] Whether your patients are out there pounding the streets or posting reviews online while raining praise upon your practice matters not. To reap the benefits of both literal and virtual word-of-mouth, you have to focus on inspiring a greater sense of loyalty and turning your patients into practice advocates.

Curious about How to Capitalize on Patient Reviews?

Stay tuned to the Rosemont Review for more online review essentials, or visit our Facebook page and post your comments and questions there. If you simply must have more information on online reviews right now, contact Rosemont Media and your RM consultant today.

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-britton/patient-reviews_b_956305.html
[2] http://www.bazaarvoice.com/resources/stats