Reviews are crucial for any industry, and healthcare is no exception. Online reviews continue to gain popularity, and patients search for doctors’ reviews before they consider booking an appointment. The Web has become a tool for patients to know whether a doctor’s service is worth its price or if they offer a high-quality service.
To gain information, patients can go to search engines such as Google to find the doctor that suits them best. However, there are specific sites where patients can do their research and consequently make their choice. Here you will read about five loved healthcare providers’ review sites that patients swear by.
Well-Liked Health Care Providers Review Sites
When it comes to finding doctors and healthcare providers in general, customers need to search for reliable sites that guarantee they will get good service. While patients could search across the Internet to gather valuable information about healthcare providers, there are specific websites they can rely on. Below you will find three of these sites and two popular review pages.
Google Business Pages
One of the most popular options, and a trusted site given its guidelines is Google Business Pages. This option particularly is quite beneficial, as it provides several pieces of information besides just reviews. There, patients can see the specific location through Google Maps, learn about the business working hours, see pictures the customers take, and more.
Yelp
Yelp is known as a review platform for establishments such as restaurants or hotels, but consider joining this platform to help patients find the right doctor for them. By showing options such as Best Physicians Near Me or Best Family Doctors Near Me, chances are that they will find a doctor that suits their needs. Similar to Google Business Pages reviews, potential patients can read other customers’ opinions and see their star rates.
Until now, you read about generic review sites. Let’s take a look at industry-specific healthcare review sites.
Vitals
Starting with Vitals, a website with more than 9 million patient reviews. Whether you are a doctor or dentist, the website receives reviews from diverse specialties. It allows patients to find healthcare professionals that accept their insurance. The site provides information on doctors based on searches done across hospitals, and medical boards.
Patients can leave reviews with a comment, and by rating the service from one to five stars.
Healthgrades
This is one of the most popular for new patients to find their next doctor. With 13.3 million visits, Healthgrades is one of the most sought-after doctor review sites at the moment.
The platform takes its data from the National Provider Identifier Registry and creates its directory with it, which allows prospective patients to search for legitimate doctors. It will provide information on doctors of every specialty based on the user’s location.
Healthgrades also provides patients with vital information such as:
- Educational backgrounds.
- Languages spoken.
- Amount of years the healthcare professionals have been in practice.
- Practice and office locations.
- The type of insurance you accept.
- The doctors’ preferred communication method.
Furthermore, patients looking for care have the chance to view others’ ratings and reviews, which include:
- Waiting time.
- Appointment schedule process and its difficulty level.
- Customer service.
- Time spent with healthcare specialists.
- Providing top-notch decisions and feedback, consequently gaining patients’ trust.
- Doctors’ ability to explain medical conditions with ease.
RateMDs
Similar to Healthgrades, RateMDs also bases its doctor directory on the National Provider Identifier Registry. With more than 2.6 million visits and more than 1.7 million healthcare providers in 202, the website shows anonymous patient feedback. Patients base their reviews on four different categories for doctors and staff:
For doctors, reviews are based on:
- Knowledge.
- Punctuality.
- Helpfulness.
- Staff.
For healthcare establishments, reviews are based on:
- Facilities.
- Services.
- Cleanliness.
- Value
Patients choose the rating for each category, from terrible to excellent, and can leave a short comment.
Managing These Review Sites
To gain popularity across these websites, you must learn how to manage your profiles on them. Some of the most vital steps are knowing how to ask patients for reviews, and providing easy access to your healthcare provider review profile through direct links, QR codes, automated messages, and other options.
Responding to reviews is also a great tool for management, even if patients leave negative reviews. Answering reviews can reinforce the positive aspects of the customer service the establishment offers, and also allows patients to trust online reviews of your work.
Know How to Ask Patients for Reviews
While it might sound obvious, the first task on the How To checklist is making sure you are providing an excellent service. Being up to date with technology trends in 2023 can improve your reputation, too. For example, make sure the staff is gentle, use online platforms to offer an alternative way of booking appointments or receiving a doctor’s note, and create a newsletter sent through electronic correspondence providing personal recommendations based on your specialty.
Moreover, do not simply ask customers to give you a review after finishing the appointment. Instead, ask them simple questions regarding their thoughts on the session and then provide them with the option of leaving an online review. Even if the feedback is neutral or leaning towards constructive criticism, encourage them to leave the review.
How to Optimize Your Profile on Health Care Providers Review Sites
Learning how to manage your profile is important, but knowing how to optimize it is vital for the success of it. To carry on this, all you need to do is follow simple but effective recommendations based on each healthcare provider review site.
For Google Business Profiles
Optimizing your Google Business page requires things such as updating your business hours, posting the exact healthcare establishment location through Google Maps, and publishing pictures. You can also use keywords in your profile’s description, and try to use Google My Business posts to let patients know of any offers or events you might have.
For Yelp Reviews
For starters, claim your profile. Upload pictures of yourself, your staff, and your establishment. Complete your profile information.
On the other hand, while you want to receive reviews on your page, it is best if you get a couple of reviews at a time. A high influx of feedback at once can qualify as suspicious activity for Yelp, and the platform could take down your page.
For Vitals Reviews
Similar to Yelp, you can optimize your profile by claiming it. Update your information if needed. Once you complete this step, you can answer reviews, which can also result in a positive increase in patient experience feedback.
For Healthgrades Reviews
The most important thing you must know is that you need an NPI number to claim your profile. With that, you can claim your profile, update your information, and add important value-related items such as your care philosophy. Reply to reviews, let your patients know you are paying attention to what they are saying.
For RateMD Reviews
Optimizing a RateMD profile is the easier one out of the five websites on this list. Find creative ways of making sure your patients are leaving their reviews on this website. Similar to other websites, complete your profile and add your information.
Online Reputation Management for Doctors: Essential for Popularity?
Now, this might depend on how you view it. It is vital to consider that review websites will continue to gain popularity, and doctor review websites are part of this. Reviews sites are a great way of promoting your service, as people are always looking for new healthcare providers and they use online reviews to help them make their decisions.
Top doctor review sites have gathered millions of views, which results in the possibility of showcasing your work to thousands of potential patients.
Drawbacks of Doing Online Research to Choose Physicians
However, as expected, not everything is as easy as it seems. Many patients refrain from basing their choices on physician review sites, due to concerns about transparency. Others state that these sites have inconsistencies, such as differences in average ratings across platforms.
Even if they are on the rise, many people claim not to trust online review sites. However, if you try to provide as much reliable information as possible, and showcase overall success throughout your reviews, chances are things will go smoothly for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Health Care Providers Review Sites Reliable?
Yes, they are. These sites are already filled with millions of patients looking for new doctors.
Are Surveys Effective in Health Care?
They are. Surveys are a tool to make sure you’re providing excellent services and patients trust your practice.
What Is the Survey Response Rate in Health Care?
According to a study, the survey response rate is 70%. The percentage rate for online surveys is 51% for email surveys and 46% for website surveys.
How to Do a Patient Satisfaction Survey?
To create a patient satisfaction survey, first, you need to specify what you would like to evaluate. Based on that, make your survey, launch it on your preferred platform, evaluate the feedback, and, finally, take the necessary steps to fulfill your patients’ needs.
What Is Patient Peer Review?
Patient peer review is an evaluation created to increase the quality of care and patient safety.
Conclusion
These days, more consumers rely on the Internet to make decisions. From simple things such as choosing where to eat dinner, to serious things such as choosing a doctor; by having a profile on healthcare providers’ sites, you’re taking advantage of today’s rhythm and have the possibility of gaining a positive online reputation across many websites.
Doctor ratings and reviews can help patients trust their potential physician, and it allows patients to search for a doctor that suits them without having to make several tries.
