Today, online reviews play a huge part in how patients choose their doctors. Online reviews are easy to access, convenient to use and perceived as unbiased by the majority of potential patients. Studies show that nearly 80 percent of patients read online reviews before choosing their provider. Unfortunately, nudging patients to share their opinion of the practice can feel awkward and uncomfortable. Here are four tips for taking the pain out of requesting online reviews.
Keep it simple.
Most of your patients are very busy as well, so make it easy for them. Many practices have laptops available to the patients before they even leave the office. Encouraging patients to post right after their experience ensures that you will get feedback. If your practice doesn’t have these resources, consider a post-visit email with a link allowing patients to leave a review.
Ask for support.
According to Matt Buder Shapiro, co-founder of MedPilot, doctors need to be proactive in asking patients for help and feedback. “In order to increase the chances of receiving feedback, you need to directly ask for it, either in person at the end of a visit or digitally through email/[text message]. Encouraging feedback in general, and not just pleading for good reviews, will make patients much more likely to oblige,” says Shapiro. If someone tells you how much they enjoy your staff or your bedside manner, don’t hesitate to ask them to share their experience. Find the right balance when asking for reviews that keeps you in your comfort zone. If you feel uncomfortable asking, this will come across to the patients and they will feel uncomfortable as well. If you are confident and comfortable, your patients will feel it.
Research your platforms.
Know which review site to use and find the one that will benefit your practice the most. Research all review sites thoroughly and once you make the decision to start building a profile there, familiarize yourself with all the features the site has to offer. Using all the tools properly will maximize the chances that your practice will pop up in search engines.
Invest in helpful tools.
Your online reputation is very important in today’s world so research reputation management software. These programs help busy practices easily seek feedback and quickly respond to all reviews, which ultimately aids in addressing patient concerns. In addition to reputation management software, ensure you have a quality website and don’t forget the power of other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Patients will comment on everything from office décor to the receptionist’s demeanor, so be prepared for the good and the bad. All reviews, whether positive or negative, provide physicians the opportunity to engage with their patients, so use them to your advantage. Keeping a monitored and engaged review profile will build your practice’s reputation, make your practice more relatable, and give your team valuable insight on how they can improve.
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