Why do healthcare providers need to pay attention to patient reviews?
77% of prospective patients use online reviews as the first step in choosing a physician. Reviews are the first impression patients get of your practice.
Why patient reviews on review sites are important
They contribute to a good online reputation
Patients want a provider with a proven track record of success, and when searching for one, they trust information from other patients most. Online reviews are social proof of a healthcare provider’s expertise and quality, and give prospective patients a contextual idea of what kind of experience to expect with a given provider.
They help you improve patient experience
All feedback is good feedback. While positive reviews boost your reputation, bad reviews give you critical insight into what needs improvement. The quicker you act on negative feedback, the less you will start to receive.
The list below ranks the top 10 review sites where patients post reviews for their healthcare providers based on data from Alexa.
Why are these the top 10 review sites for healthcare providers?
It’s important to get reviews on sites that lots of patients know about and visit. The more often a patient visits a site, the more likely they are to read and post reviews there. High web traffic suggests many users have accounts on these sites, meaning it would be quick and easy to leave a review — no need to go through a lengthy registration process.
2 important patient review management tips
1) Set up your business account on each of these top review sites
Include your up-to-date business information so patients can start finding you easily and leaving reviews
2) Ask your patients for reviews on a regular basis
A 5-star rating doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Patients also look at when the review was posted, and value recent reviews over old ones that may have become irrelevant. Not only that — a higher review volume makes both search engines and customers trust you more.
TOP 10 REVIEW SITES FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Google My Business
Alexa Ranking: 1, Monthly U.S. traffic: 155.5M
Google My Business is a free tool helping local businesses manage their online presence across Google Search and Google Maps. Being listed on Google My Business is crucial to new patient acquisition: 98% of consumers choose a business listed on page 1 of Google search results. Verify your business on Google My Business to get started.
Facebook
Alexa Ranking: 3, Monthly U.S. traffic: 99.4M
Facebook is the fastest growing review platform. You can enable reviews on your practice’s Facebook page via the Facebook Reviews app, which will create a Reviews tab right on your page where patients can read and post reviews. The great thing about Facebook is most patients already have accounts, so leaving a review is quick and painless. However, it’s important to note that unlike many other review sites, businesses cannot respond to patient reviews posted on Facebook.
WebMD
Alexa Ranking: 162, Monthly U.S. traffic: 31.9M
In addition to extensive information and public forums, WebMD has a physician directory and a hospital directory to help patients use ratings and reviews to find local care.
Healthgrades
Alexa Ranking: 1153, Monthly U.S. traffic: 9M
With a database of more than 3 million healthcare providers from individual physicians to hospitals, Healthgrades is known for providing extensive information on critical criteria such as provider’s experience, patient satisfaction, and hospital quality.
ZocDoc
Alexa Ranking: 1819, Monthly U.S. traffic: 3.5M
ZocDoc lets patients explore doctors by specialty, range of services, office locations, personnel educational backgrounds, and more. List your practice on ZocDoc to showcase your expertise and start collecting patient reviews. For members, ZocDoc also offers instant appointment booking. ZocDoc shows up in the top results for 120 million annual doctor searches.
Vitals
Alexa Ranking: 5746, Monthly U.S. traffic: 1.7M
Vitals has 7.8 million reviews and ratings of doctors, specialists, hospitals, treatment and recovery facilities, urgent care facilities, and more.
RateMDs
Alexa Ranking: 1345 (Canada), Monthly U.S. traffic: 6.1K
RateMDs helps connect doctors and medical providers with those in need of medical care. The site has over 2.5 million ratings of doctors, dentists, psychologists, urgent care centers, group practices, hospitals, and more.
How can you get new patient reviews on top review sites?
There are several ways to collect more reviews from your patients, including manually sending follow-up emails, including links or codes on receipts, or in person after a patient visit. However, the most effective way to boost review volume is by automating the process with our MCD Reviews management software that lets you ask every patient for feedback after their appointment and alerts you whenever you receive a new review.
The bottom line of patient reviews
Reviews are only becoming more important in the healthcare industry. To dominate local competition and earn prospective patients’ trust, you need a review management strategy in place. This will not only earn you a great online reputation; it will also help you understand your patients on a personal level so you can consistently exceed their expectations and keep your spot at the top. It’s a win-win.
Adapted from Birdeye Blog.
