Don’t let negative patient reviews bring down your practice

By Olivia Barry, Manager, Practice Management, October 1, 2022

Each month, DermWorld tackles issues “in practice” for dermatologists. This month, practice management staff offer tips for managing online patient reviews.

Online reviews can be one of the most influential factors when prospective patients choose a dermatology practice. A negative review can weigh heavily on your practice’s reputation and its ability to attract new or retain existing patients. While there is no silver bullet to ensure you never get a negative review, following the suggestions below can help combat negative online reviews, generate positive ones, and build a winning practice image.

How negative reviews impact your practice

Minc Law, an online defamation and harassment law firm, estimates that over 80% of customers rely on and trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from family or friends. A negative review can hinder new patients from even considering your practice for future care, meaning your practice may not grow. Further, it has the possibility to adversely impact your existing relationships with patients by causing unease if they come across a bad review. Lastly, negative reviews can lead to a potential loss of revenue.

If you receive a bad patient review, apply the following “dos” and “don’ts” to minimize potentially damaging impact.

DON’Ts:

Don’t respond impulsively.

As reported by MedPB, over 90% of patient complaints and negative reviews are a result of a miscommunication or misunderstanding. As such, read the review, do not respond immediately, and come back to respond to it when you have had time to carefully reflect on the comment(s). Be sure to answer it thoughtfully and objectively — not defensively. Do not allow the review to cause emotional distress; consider the productive details in the feedback and remind yourself that you work hard for your patients, but you cannot please everyone.

Don’t remove the negative review.

Under the Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does not permit companies to remove or suppress customer reviews. This action is referred to as “review gating” and is illegal. The FTC will hold companies accountable if they are found to be “cherry picking” online reviews. According to the FTC, companies can be charged up to $42,530 per violation, so resist the urge to remove any negative reviews.

Don’t disclose protected health information (PHI).

When responding to a review, including any type of patient information is a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Even, if the patient shares private information in the review (e.g., name, service rendered, patient experience, etc.), this does not permit you, as a physician, to disclose PHI. Just respond to the other details of the feedback and leave personal identifiers out. Learn more about HIPAA.

Don’t engage with trolls/cyberbullies.

You can typically identify cyberbullies easily as they have a pattern of behavior that includes leaving unsubstantiated, inflammatory comments that are often attention-seeking in nature. Do not respond to such individuals and report any threatening or bullying behavior to the appropriate social media platform. If you feel there may be an imminent threat to you, your staff, or your practice, contact local law enforcement.

DOs:

Review the patient’s experience and consider their perspective.

Understand the main issue of the complaint. Was it the wait time, bedside manner, staff interaction, a scheduling issue? Did the patient feel rushed/didn’t have their medical questions answered completely, etc.? Or was the issue something more individualized to their care? Consider the patient’s perspective to understand in what way the situation could have left them feeling dissatisfied and how or if it can be prevented in the future.

Have a templated, customizable response prepared.

To ensure consistency and minimize further damage to your practice’s reputation, create a templated, customizable response that dedicated, trained staff can use to respond to online reviews. An example of a response may be, “Thank you for your feedback. We strive to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients. Please contact our office directly with any questions or concerns at xxx-xxx-xxxx.” Or you can inform the patient that you are unable to respond to online reviews but encourage them to reach out directly by phone.

When appropriate, contact the patient directly via phone.

Speaking one-on-one allows the conversation to be private, lets all parties speak freely, and ensures that there are no HIPAA violations. Often, a patient will leave a bad review because of their perception of feeling powerless. Empathize with them and actively listen during the conversation. Reaching out to the patient privately shows you take their concern seriously and want to come to a resolution. Be sure to delegate this task to a trained staff person on your team who has strong communication skills and displays empathy.

Utilize the patient’s feedback in a positive manner.

Apply patient feedback to improve your practice where appropriate. For example, was the patient’s concern a scheduling error that you can use to evaluate and refine your appointment-making process? Or were they upset about the wait time which you may be able to reduce with some small but effective changes? Consider the feedback objectively and make the necessary modifications to enhance your practice’s processes.

Build your practice’s positive reputation

Knowing how to respond to a negative review is important, but more important than that is to proactively build your positive online reputation. Here is how you can do that:

Create an online presence for your practice.

If you do not have a presence online, it may seem like you do not exist. While that may sound extreme, in the current digitally driven era, it is not an unreasonable assumption. Practices that take the time and resources to create a strong and effective website will be able to communicate the practice’s value and services, better attract new patients, and continue to build strong relationships with existing patients. And, since “you only get one chance to make a first impression,” make sure your website is a good reflection of you and your practice.

Encourage patients to write reviews.

According to a survey performed by Brightlocal, if requested, 70% of patients said they were willing to write a review. When a patient compliments your care at a visit, ask if they would be open to sharing their positive experience through a written online review. Having a script ready for office staff can help implement this process.

Utilize social media marketing.

Unfortunately, having a website alone won’t cut it in this day and age. According to the article, 11 Social Media Stats Every Health Care Marketer Should Know by Mass Media, among web users, over 70% are regularly scrolling through social media networks which means social media platforms give you the opportunity to target massive and new audiences. When comparing types of advertisements utilized in health care, social media has displayed the highest return on investment. Market your business by sharing details about your practice (hours, location, contact information, etc.), daily health tips, or content about trending health topics.

Managing negative online reviews does not have to be a recurring nightmare. Following the tips outlined above will allow you to handle negative reviews with greater ease and help you strengthen your brand online by taking a few proactive steps early. If you keep an open mind about it, a negative review can be an opportunity for you to improve your practice and develop a sound physician-patient relationship.

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