9 NOVEMBER 2024Many healthcare providers, however, feel online reviews are out of their control, and so they do not focus much effort or attention on what's being said online about their business. Frankly speaking, this is not the right mind-set. While providers cannot control how they are rated and what is written about them in a review, they do have the ability to:· Monitor reviews so that they can be aware of the public's feedback,· Request reviews in an effort to generate more positive ratings, and· Respond to reviews as a way to demonstrate the respect held for former patients and the experiences they had in your care.Monitoring reviews is key in gathering actionable insight into what a hospital or provider has done well and where there are areas of opportunity. This allows us to make informed decisions and be intentional in improvement strategies. Additionally, monitoring provides the capability to measure the success of process changes. This is commonly accomplished by using an online reputation management platform. These types of platforms can be resourceful tools, not just for monitoring reviews and measuring key metrics, but also for responding to reviews from multiple sources, all in one place.Requesting reviews allows you to grow your census data and create a broader, more representative picture of the care that one can expect to receive. In my experience, patients and customers who had a less than favorable outcome are more likely to share their experience on a review platform than those who had a favorable one. Relying solely on experiences shared by those actively seeking to leave a review is not the best practice. This will typically result in low review volume and sentiment. In contrast, requesting reviews usually results in increased review participation and more positive sentiment, which improves search engine optimization (SEO) and makes it more likely that patients will find you online. A recent survey by Brightlocal showed that "65% of consumers left reviews in response to requests from a business."Typically, a tool is offered by most online reputation management platforms to solicit reviews. With Google being the most used and trusted review platform, sending links to leave a review on your Google Business Profile provides the best opportunity to capture more reviews. Google is the most widely used resource and is a great place to start focusing your healthcare online reputation management. Want to go a step further? Have business profiles on multiple reviews sites, such as Healthgrades, Judy's Book, RateMDs, etc. This can improve review spread and increase your digital footprint, which also improves SEO.Responding to all your new reviews is the next important piece in online reputation management. Responding to reviews, including negative ones, is crucial. This strengthens your reputation as a provider that cares about the patient's experience while demonstrating a willingness to improve and resolve any concerns if they arise.It is important to understand that online reviews are about more than just a star rating; reviews also influence your local search results. You never want to show up low in Google search results, as many people never look at the second page. Local search results are based primarily on distance, relevance, and prominence, with the latter two influenced by reviews.How does it work? Reviews generate keywords. These keywords can help someone find you if they're not using your name when searching. This is relevance, which refers to how well a local Business Profile matches what someone is searching for. In other words, if someone is searching for physical therapy near them and you have positive reviews mentioning physical therapy at your healthcare facility, it increases the likelihood of showing up in search engine results.Meanwhile, the volume of reviews impacts prominence, which refers to how well-known the business is. Naturally, the more reviews you have the better your business prominence will be.All these concepts make up online reputation management, and monitoring, requesting, and responding to reviews should be key pieces of your strategy to understanding patients' experiences and earning new business.Your online reputation proves to potential patients why your location and services should be viewed as the best option for their healthcare needs, while also presenting you with valuable feedback that can be used to identify improvements in the care you provide, and in enhancing the patient's experience. MONITORING REVIEWS IS KEY IN GATHERING ACTIONABLE INSIGHT INTO WHAT A HOSPITAL OR PROVIDER HAS DONE WELL AND WHERE THERE ARE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY
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