Written by Dick Pepper, principal at VoxMD, a healthcare marketing and technology firm.
Dick can be reached at dick.pepper@voxmd.com.
A little over a year ago I wrote an article about spine surgeon reputation management: 5 Tips on Spine Surgeon Reputation Management. I knew it was a big topic, but I didn't realize how big it would become — it's now Wall Street Journal big.
The May 19th issue of the Wall Street Journal features a video news report and an article about the surge in doctors checking their online ratings from patients, and what they're doing about it. The article covers many of the points found in the earlier Becker's article, but expands significantly:
Even more people are looking at even more review sites.
There are 40 to 50 physician rating sites out there, and people are using them. According to a study from the University of Michigan, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 25 percent of all U.S. adults looked at physician-ranking sites and more than one-third chose their physician based on their ratings. Or avoided doctors based on their ratings.
Patients are looking at whether a doctor has reviews or not.
One patient describes the fact that if a doctor doesn't have reviews, then they "aren't keeping up with the times." Negative reviews are viewed "with a grain of salt," but the presence of a lot of low scoring reviews may give patients pause.
Studies show that online reviews are mostly positive, and accurate.
The Journal of Medical Internet Research published a study of 1,425 family-practice physicians and found that almost 800 had ratings online. In a companion survey of more than 100 patients from these doctors, the results of the outcomes were very similar. In other words, the online ratings are being proven to be credible.
There are more examples of the importance of managing your online reputation closer to home. The most recent AAOS meeting featured two lectures focused specifically on your online reputation, along with a large number of lectures about web and social media. How many more will we see at upcoming meetings?
Steps to managing your online reputation
Assess the situation — Google your name, and all its variations such as Dr. Your Name, or Your Name, MD or DO. Look at three key factors: how many reviews you have, how old they are and how many people "found them helpful." Low numbers of reviews are not statistically valid. You need at least 25 to begin trusting what is said. And ideally within the same year.
Take action — The simplest way to get reviews is to ask for them. It's as easy as handing patients a card asking your patients to review you on HealthGrades, Vitals, RateMDs.com or other sites. Bear in mind you aren't shilling yourself to patients, you are asking for their feedback. Some will give it, and then you'll begin to have actual, measurable feedback.
Measure the results — Check yourself. Every week or two, look at the major review sites that show up for your name. See if the numbers are increasing and where the scores are heading. Once you see realistic data and ratings, based on your actions, then you will get a more realistic view of how your patients perceive you.
There are more reasons than ever to take charge of your online reputation. Patients are more technically savvy, they're more likely to believe ratings, and they're comparing doctors a lot more based on their insurance situations. It's up to you to take the steps to make your online reputation the best it can be.
More Articles on Spine Surgery:
5 Things to Know About 2014 Cervical Spine Research Society President Dr. Bruce Darden
$73.9B by 2018: 5 Key Observations on the U.S. Implantable Device Market
The Future of Patient Volume Growth: 4 Spine Surgeons Weigh In