Boost your reputation: Strategies for doctors to get 5-star patient reviews

The sheer quantity of options online makes selecting a new healthcare provider today overwhelming. And with more information available than ever before, researching new providers has become part and parcel of the healthcare consumer’s journey — 77% of people say they often or regularly search online for new providers, according to Tebra’s fourth annual Patient Perspectives report.

Positive online reviews are a powerful differentiator for practices. 3 in 4 patients say online reviews are extremely or very important when choosing a healthcare provider. Online reviews serve as social proof for the experience an individual is likely to have, and prospective patients turn to reviews to ensure a provider will offer the level of care and professionalism they’re after.  

Below are reasons why medical practice reviews and ratings are essential to reputation management and practice growth, as well as forming a crucial part of your comprehensive practice marketing strategy. We’ll also discuss simple strategies to elicit more of them. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Learn how patient reviews impact the success of your practice.

Today’s patients are digitally savvy individuals who turn to the web when it’s time to find a new provider. Reviews are highly influential and positive reviews set your practice apart. But patients aren’t just looking to see a handful of sterling 4-star reviews; they’re sizing up your practice for the number of reviews, the average star rating, and how recent they are. 

When selecting a new provider, patients look for:  

Tebra’s Patient Perspectives survey found that an average star rating is the most important consideration for 38% of patients, while review recency is most important for 43%. External research backs up the need for regularly posted reviews. Data from the consumer review research site BrightLocal reveals 48% of consumers say a review more than 2 weeks old won’t impact their decision. And any review more than 3 months old is considered irrelevant by 93% of consumers. 

Positive online reviews also help boost your position in the search engine results pages (SERPS), like Google. Google’s local search algorithm is based on relevance, distance, and prominence, with prominence determined in part by number and recency of reviews because it shows that the community thinks you’re notable.

Practices need a smart strategy to elicit consistent patient feedback in order to attract net-new patients and grow the business. 

The best way to get more patient reviews is to ask for them. Most patients are happy to share a review of their experience — especially if it was positive. BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2023 found people are more likely to leave online reviews for a great experience (67%) as compared to a negative one (40%).

Patients often just need some encouragement. Increasing the number of reviews you receive can be as easy as asking patients to do so and simplifying the process for them. Requesting reviews from patients doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t even need to be in person. Rather, a simple “Your feedback is appreciated” message can go a long way, just be sure to provide more than one way to leave a review, and ask at various touchpoints along the patient journey.

Outside of the actual ask, there are ways for practices to encourage feedback. 

Automating the ask for patient reviews is a must for any practice seeking to streamline and improve the process. Doing so increases response rates, simplifies the process for patients to leave reviews, and trims the administrative burden of managing requests in-person. 

Reputation management software lets practices automatically send requests for reviews to all patients. While not every patient will write one, automating the process makes it possible to collect responses at scale; the more requests you send out, the more responses you’re likely to receive. And practices may be surprised how much feedback they get — people are more likely to post reviews and offer feedback than ever before. According to Tebra’s 2023 patient survey, 48% of patients have posted an online review of a healthcare provider, which is up 3% from 2022.

Automating requests for patient reviews allows practices to follow up with those who don't respond to the initial communication, offering multiple opportunities for feedback. Since individuals may forget to leave a review while the visit is fresh, this method ensures timely input. Automated requests streamline the feedback process for both the patient and the practice.

Using a platform to automate feedback requests also works well when approaching long-time patients, who may find an in-person request awkward after so many years of business. 

HIPAA is always top of mind for healthcare practices. Stay compliant with HIPAA by remaining general and anonymous. When requesting patient feedback, use a general template rather than referring to the details of a recent visit. 

There’s no need to let a patient know that you’d like their feedback regarding their recent visit for indigestion. Rather, just say you’d like to hear what they thought of their experience. The same advice applies when responding to patient feedback. Avoid sharing any personal details about the visit. Just thank the individual for their feedback and move on. 

Practices can monitor their online reviews by regularly reviewing their profiles and online listings on sites like Google, Yelp, Healthgrades, Facebook, and more. 

Most of these review sites or social media platforms offer automated notifications for new activity, like reviews and ratings, if businesses set up an account or claim a profile. 

It can be tempting to ignore negative reviews, especially if you believe the complaint has no merit. But doing so can multiply the consequences.

Responding to negative reviews makes the author feel heard and gives your practice an opportunity to remedy the issue. Tebra’s patient survey found that almost 2 in 3 (64%) patients would return to a practice that addressed concerns they shared in a negative review.

Responding to negative reviews doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s what to keep in mind. 

For step-by-step guidance and scripts on what to say, check out “Tips to handle negative reviews with ease.” 

With most people o finding new healthcare providers online, patient reviews can make or break your chances of landing patient referrals, acquiring new patients, and growing your business. 

Practices need a reputation management strategy that enables you to automate requests for reviews and collect them at scale. But receiving positive patient feedback isn’t all your practice needs to focus on. Responding to online reviews — positive and negative — is critical to soothing disgruntled patients and creating a positive impression for those who view the comment.