Doctor reputation management is the process of repairing and maintaining a medical professional’s online reputation. It addresses reviews, embarrassing public incidents and bad press coverage that threaten a medical practice’s success.
It is important to react quickly to both positive and negative feedback. Responding to reviews is also an effective way to demonstrate a doctor’s dedication to patient satisfaction.
1. Respond to Reviews
Whether they’re good or bad, online reviews provide a window into patients’ perceptions of your practice. As a result, it’s important for physicians to respond to reviews in order to build trust and attract new patients.
However, it’s important to avoid getting defensive or angry in your response. Even if you feel the review is unjustified, getting caught up in emotions could damage your reputation and deter future patients from visiting your practice.
Instead, focus on the positive aspects of the patient’s experience. Try to highlight the fact that the patient’s concerns were addressed and the issue was resolved. If possible, offer to meet with the patient again to ensure that the problem won’t happen again in the future.
It’s also important to be aware of HIPAA laws when responding to online reviews. Do not include any information that could violate a patient’s privacy. Be sure to have your staff trained on HIPAA regulations and consult with a lawyer if you’re unsure how to proceed.
2. React Quickly to Negative Reviews
The most important aspect of online doctor reputation management is responding to negative reviews. This involves a carefully crafted, emotionally neutral response that doesn’t get personal or sound like an excuse. Many doctors are tempted to ignore a bad review, but this can be damaging to the physician’s online reputation in the long run.
Reputation management agencies use a variety of tools and personnel to respond quickly to online patient reviews. They can also help physicians create a website that clearly presents critical information about the physician and their practice. The cornerstone of a doctor’s online presence is their Google business listing page. This needs to be claimed, optimized, and managed in order for patients to see accurate and relevant information when searching the physician’s name.
It’s important to remember that a physician cannot discuss protected health information (PHI) in public forums, such as social media, because this is against HIPAA regulations. For this reason, it is best to ask the patient to contact your office directly to resolve a negative review or complaint.
3. Monitor Your Reputation
While doctors put forth a great deal of effort to make every patient happy, it’s often impossible to keep everyone completely satisfied. When unhappy patients take to social media or write a bad review online, it can have a catastrophic effect on a doctor’s reputation. This is why effective physician online reputation management is so important.
It’s essential that physicians monitor their online reputation and act quickly when they see a negative comment or news article about them. This can be done easily by setting up Google alerts to notify you whenever your name or practice are mentioned on the internet. This allows you to quickly respond to any negativity and ensure that the public is seeing a positive picture of your practice.
It’s also a good idea to regularly check search results tied to your personal name or practice, including reviews on Yelp, ZocDocs, Healthgrades, RateMDs and Google Reviews. Taking the time to assess your online presence and uncover any issues can help you maintain a strong reputation and attract more new patients.
4. Create a Blog
For doctors, a well-written blog can be a key aspect of an online reputation management campaign. Blogs communicate to potential patients that you’re involved in the medical community and are knowledgeable of current trends. They also establish you as a thought leader and can help you rank higher in Google search results.
While many doctors use social media to engage with patients and promote their services, owning a website allows you to publish updates on your practice and discuss medical topics in a more professional manner. Additionally, a website can be used to showcase positive reviews, satisfied quotes, and patient testimonials that can have a significant impact on your online reputation.
Creating a blog is an effective way to manage your online reputation, as it showcases your expertise and builds trust. You can create a medical blog on your existing website or set up a separate website dedicated to blogging. However, it’s important to note that a well-written, regularly updated blog is the best way to drive traffic and improve organic SEO. In addition, it’s important to ensure that your blogs are well-researched and written with accessibility in mind.
5. Promote Your Blog
In a world where over 90% of patients research doctors and medical practices online, reputation management for doctors has never been more important. A positive reputation can boost patient count and retention, while a negative reputation can destroy both.
Many physicians rely on proactive reputation management techniques to build and maintain a healthy digital presence. These include using social media to counter negative publicity (e.g. DUIs or arrests), establishing and maintaining a professional website, and leveraging online directories like WebMd to improve their search results.
Another effective strategy is to create profiles on question-and-answer websites like Quora and message boards for topics related to a doctor’s specialty. These profiles can be used to promote content that reinforces a physician’s authority and thought leadership.
In addition to promoting blogs, physicians can also use other marketing tactics like guest posting on relevant news sites and collaborating with other professionals in their field. By experimenting with different promotional strategies, doctors can find the ones that work best for them and their audience. These strategies can be time-consuming and expensive, but they can significantly impact a doctor’s online reputation in a positive way.