Patient Reviews: The Most Powerful Seal of Approval

As published in the July 2022 Issue of Ophthalmology Business Minute. To subscribe to OBM, visit their website.

What if we told you that your online reviews (and social media profiles – but that’s for another day) are more important than your website? Hear us out: obviously, a compelling website is vital to your success. But what if your prospective patient is turned off before they make it there? 

If you know us, you know that we always pivot our view to that of the consumer, our patient. We must take a moment and reset: remove our ‘doctor/business/advertiser hat’ and remember we’re a consumer just like them. When a friend recommends a restaurant do you type in http://www.RestaurantName.com? Of course not, you google it. What comes up? A list of links to the left, and pulling your attention to the right: the Google My Business profile with photos, hours and… reviews. 

Research shows that most people will start (and stop!) at your Google My Business profile. If they don’t like what they see they won’t even make it to your website. Google is the #1 review site used by healthcare consumers – more popular than healthcare review sites. Higher reputation scores have 838% more clicks!(1) 

Three out of four U.S. adults read online patient reviews when deciding on a healthcare facility or physician.(1)  

Today’s consumer is savvy to today’s world of simulated content created to impress. From selfie filters, photoshopped models, and ‘what I ordered vs. what I got’ exposures on social media, we don’t trust advertisements. We crave authenticity and rely on other real people to recommend products and services. 

Your target patient knows that your website is created by an agency of professionals to represent what you want people to think of you. They also know that you can’t edit reviews or fake a thriving social media community, so this is where they turn to authenticate your brand. 

81% of patients review providers online even after a referral with 90% changing their mind about a referral if they don’t like what they see.(1) 

What does the consumer care about? Star average, review volume, recent reviews, review length/content (not just stars) and review responses.  Even more than procedure outcome, how the physician and staff made a patient feel was the leading cause of both good and negative reviews(1). As always investing in your team’s expertise in patient experience offers one of the highest returns on investment that you can find. 

Christine Scarlett & Lauren Weaver

Co-Founders, The Patient Whisperers & upSKILLery

(1) 2022 Healthcare Reputation Report