8 NOVEMBER 2024IN MY OPINIONBy Matthew Trader, Director of Online Reputation Management, ScionHealthHarnessing the Power of Online Reputation Management in the Healthcare IndustryIf someone were to search for your hospital online, what would they see? The search results may be crucial to your business success and your ability to attract new patients and partners.In today's digital age, online reputation management, or ORM, is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare field.In the past, healthcare facilities and providers relied heavily upon word-of-mouth interactions to generate patient referrals, with shared experiences and recommendations among friends and relatives a key to attracting new patients and business. Earning great word-of-mouth publicity within your community is, of course, still beneficial to hospitals, clinics, and providers, but it is no longer the primary way that most people decide where they want to seek care. Thanks to search engines like Google and healthcare-focused websites that allow patients to rate and review their experiences, people have all the information they need at their fingertips to research the reputations of hospitals and providers without ever having to ask a friend for advice.Now, instead of seeking a recommendation from a relative or friend about who they think is the best pediatrician in town, or where they'd go for a knee replacement, we look to online reviews for what they have to say. Even though online reviews are usually written by complete strangers, many people find tremendous value in them because the readers put stock in the authentic opinions that online reviews provide. This is also increasingly important when relatives are seeking care for a loved one that lives a great distance away.Matthew Trader
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