6 ways patient feedback can improve your healthcare practice

Feedback is one of the most valuable assets for any business. It’s the clearest way to gauge customer satisfaction and pinpoint exactly what you need to improve. For healthcare professionals, collecting patient feedback and acting on it is essential for survival and growth.

Why? Because the patient journey is complex and every touchpoint matters. According to Tebra’s 2025 Patient Perspectives survey, 33% of patients have left a healthcare provider in the past 2 years. The research found the top reasons were a poor experience with the provider (42%), slow or no response to questions (31%), and a lack of follow-up (29%).

By creating a smooth feedback collection workflow, you can increase patient referrals, improve retention, and ultimately boost revenue. Here are 6 strategic ways in which patient feedback can help you improve care, enhance your reputation, and grow your practice.

Before you can improve, you need to understand. Patient feedback gives you a clear picture of what it’s actually like to be a patient at your healthcare organization. You may discover critical gaps in their patient experience that you never knew existed.

For example, do patients expect to schedule appointments online? Tebra’s research found that 43% of patients say online booking makes a big difference in their healthcare experience. If you’re not offering that option, you’re missing a key opportunity. Patients could find your bills confusing or the waiting room drab.Maybe they would prefer to get appointment reminders via text message. Perhaps one member of your front office team always goes above and beyond for them. If you don’t ask what your patients are thinking, you’ll never know.

Without asking your patients what they they think about the entire patient journey — from how they find you online and schedule appointments to the follow-up care they receive — you can’t implement changes that meet patient needs. Proactively asking, "How can we do better?" is direct path to building patient trust and improving patient retention.

Your online reputation is your most powerful tool for patient acquisition. The inverse is also true: a negative reputation can deter prospective patients from trusting your practice with their health.

The 2025 data is clear: patients rely heaving on what others say about you online. 77% of patients read online reviews before they choose a doctor. 69% say positive reviews are “extremely” or “very” important in their decision. And 69% won’t even consider a provider with an average star rating below a 4 or 5.

This means that getting satisfied patients to share positive testimonials on social media or review websites is important for reputation management and crucial to boosting patient volume. A consistent flow of recent, positive reviews provides the social proof that new patients need to feel confident in their choice. 

Once a patient leaves your office or ends a telehealth visit, you have only a short window in which to understand how the encounter went from their perspective. That’s difficult under even the best of circumstances. Without knowing their thoughts — Did you provide the necessary care? Valuable insights? Did the patient think you seemed rushed or too focused on the EHR? — you’ll can’t step back, assess your performance, and work to make it better.

Feedback on the clinical experience is crucial, as a poor provider interaction is the top reason 68% of patients would instantly consider switching providers, according to Tebra’s data. As a healthcare services provider, you should always strive to understand how your performance impacts patient perceptions about quality of care. This is crucial not just for your practice’s reputation but also for financial success, especially as the industry continues to shift towards value-based reimbursements.

A tool like Tebra’s AI Review Insights can help you identify trends in patient feedback at scale so you can show your dedication to quality improvement by taking strategic action.

Patient monitoring is critical to understand how a treatment is progressing, and patient feedback can play a big role in that process. Tracking feedback on patient care plans alongside patient outcomes gives your medical practice valuable data. You can compare a patient’s history with their current acuity to demonstrate just how much improvement there has been.

Consider conducting a data audit of new information each month. What symptoms are people presenting with at intake? Is a pattern emerging? This information can inform your patient education strategy and improve patient safety by enabling tailored training for your staff.

Keeping patient confidentiality and clinical research in mind, you can also publish compelling findings on your website or social media. If 80% of clients find symptom relief within one month, let prospective patients know. Of course, patient privacy is key, and no part of any individual patient’s history or PHI should ever be shared.

The only constant is change. The best strategy to stay relevant and drive continuous improvement is to build a culture of open communication among staff at all levels. Be open to discussing any idea that might benefit the practice.

Patients are medical practices’ customers. Without soliciting feedback from them on your performance, it’s almost impossible to improve your business. The act of collecting, discussing, and acting on patient feedback is the only foolproof way for physicians and practices to truly become patient-centric. It signals to your team and your patients that you are committed to listening and evolving.

Openly sharing and analyzing patient feedback on front-office and provider performance is one of the best ways to create the psychological safety inherent in the highest-performing teams. A bad front desk experience is enough to make 46% of patients consider switching providers, according to Tebra’s data, highlighting how critical every team member is to patient retention.

Once trust is established among teammates, constructive dialogue can uncover ways to improve the practice’s performance. Researchers have found that patient feedback of staff is often positive, and reviewing this praise collectively can result in improved staff motivation and well-being. This can lead to better performance and staff retention, which in turn means more a more positive patient experience.

Trust is key for the clinical and office staff, but also for patients. Patient trust comes from close listening and consistent openness to feedback. Fostering an office environment that prioritizes patient engagement allows patients to feel comfortable offering honest feedback.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “How do I encourage patient feedback?” Collecting patient data is easier than you think, especially since patients are often willing to share their thoughts. While requesting reviews can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.

Instead of asking in person, which might feel awkward, sending a digital request is easier for everyone. It provides an immediate opportunity for patients to reflect on their experience and respond while it’s still fresh in their minds. Automate your requests for patient feedback and encourage patients to post positive reviews online, too.

Putting together a patient focus group isn’t necessary for every little thing. Your website redesign, for example, probably won’t need input. But more complex physical or systematic redesigns could benefit from input from patient advocates. If your office is auditing your entire patient journey, invite a few patients to discuss their experiences in person. Patient interactions with the office can be varied, and bringing multiple voices to the table can be a huge help.

Patient reviews can make or break a medical practice. But even negative feedback provides an opportunity for growth — as long as you respond in a timely and professional manner.

When patients post negative feedback, they usually just want to be heard. Responding promptly shows you’re listening and creates another opportunity for patient engagement. Tebra’s 2025 data indicates just how powerful a response can be: 78% of patients say they would go back to a practice if it addressed their concerns after a negative review. Furthermore, 70% reported that a provider’s response improved their opinion of the practice.

So be prompt. Monitor patient feedback regularly and reply directly to any negative reviews within a day or two. To make this manageable, tools like Tebra’s AI Review Replies help you draft professional, compliant responses to online reviews within seconds. Thank the patient for their feedback (without confirming that they’re a patient), let them know they’re being heard, and offer to take the conversation offline to protect any sensitive patient information and stay HIPAA compliant. This way, prospective patients will see your commitment to patient satisfaction, and you can address their concerns privately.

Your patients are your number one source of insight into how well your practice is performing. Do your practice a favor and start making feedback collection a core part of your operations today.