the patient perspective 2019: online reputation 20190601 … · online pro!les and patient reviews...

The patient perspective 2019: online reputationHow patients assess, choose, and review healthcare providers

Summary and methodology

The most active online age group

Patient contact improves satisfaction

The failure to address negative reviews

Patients’ positive feedback — and a lack of feedback requests

Online resources used to assess providers

Executive outlook

Key findings

Table of contents

02THE PATIENT PERSPECTIVE 2019: ONLINE REPUTATION

The 30-44 age demographic is the most active group online: looking for providers, checking reviews, and posting about their own experiences.

More than 85 percent (85.8%) of patients ages 30-44 have looked online for healthcare information, and 40.3 percent have posted an online review. They are the only age group of which more than half say three online sources — patient reviews, third-party websites, and medical practice websites — contribute to their opinion of providers.

4

When healthcare practices reach out to unhappy patients, the resulting satisfaction level doubles. But, too many practices are either ignoring or not aware of this opportunity.

According to our survey, directly addressing negative patient feedback results in a 99 percent boost in patients who say they’re satisfied or very satisfied with the process. Unfortunately, more than half of patients who’ve submitted negative feedback (51.8%) say they were never contacted to discuss their concerns.

3

The majority of people consider patient reviews the most critical online resource when choosing a healthcare provider.

Given a list of online options, people say they look to patient reviews most often when forming an opinion of a provider (named by 54.6 percent of respondents). When it’s time to choose a doctor or dentist, 69.9 percent of people consider a positive reputation to be very or extremely important.

2

Most people — 3 out of 4 — have relied on online resources for information on providers or care. More than half do so with some regularity.

Most survey respondents (74.6%) say they’ve looked online to find out about doctors, dentists, or medical care. More relevant for providers is that 57.1 percent of respondents comprise a steady stream of engaged, potential patients who go online often or sometimes to look for care.

1

Key findings


Executive outlookThe healthcare industry is experiencing an unprecedented level of patient empowerment

and engagement, and now is the time for medical practices to take part. Patients are demanding greater convenience, and prioritizing easier access to care and information. Healthcare providers who can deliver are more likely to be the patients’

choice in their market.

To find providers who meet their expectations, most patients are going online: nearly 75

percent have sought information online about a practice, a provider, or care services.

This mirrors the basic research habits consumers exhibit for retail goods — but with

more at stake. To attract and impress these prospective patients, providers must convey

the best possible online presence and reputation.

This is the new normal for medical practices in 2019. Choosing a doctor based on

online profiles and patient reviews is the old word-of-mouth at today’s scale and speed.

Number of reviews, average star rating, and convenient hours and locations are essential

“shopping” details that patients expect to find before stepping foot into a waiting room.

How are clinicians and practice owners responding? In our 2018 provider survey report,

80 percent of practices said online reputation is very or extremely important, yet more

than half didn’t know how to affect theirs.

With this latest survey, we delve into ways patients use online resources — before

making an appointment and after a visit. The results reveal what affects patients’

decisions, and how providers can appeal to the most proactive patients.

Number of reviews, average star rating… essential details that patients expect to find before stepping foot into a waiting room.”

Luke Kervin, Co-founder and Co-CEOPatientPop

Travis Schneider, Co-founder and Co-CEOPatientPop

https://www.patientpop.com/whitepapers/2018-healthcare-providers-survey-report-online-reputation-management/

Patients assess providers online, rely most often on three resourcesIt’s been long-established that a large majority of patients look online when researching healthcare providers and

care-related topics. The 2019 patient perspective survey results not only reinforce that fact, but also detail which

sources patients turn to most.

To determine how patients use online resources when

searching for doctors and dentists, we asked about two

steps in the decision-making process: First, when

patients form an opinion about a provider; then, when

they select a provider for care.

From a list of online sources, respondents chose patient reviews as the top contributing factor during both

steps of the process — referred to even more frequently

than the medical practice’s own website.

74.6%

Percentage of patients who have looked online to find out about a

doctor, dentist, or care serviceNearly 1 in 3 patients

who look online for care say

they do so often

59%

Percentage of patients who say online reviews contribute to their

decision when choosing a doctor

Online reviews from other patients

The top three sources are the same when patients

consider and then choose a provider:

Provider information on third-party websites

(ex. Google, Yelp, Vitals, Healthgrades)

The practice website

1

2

3

THE PATIENT PERSPECTIVE 2019: ONLINE REPUTATION 05

Online resources used to assess providers


Patients assess providers online, rely most often on three resourcesIt’s been long-established that a large majority of patients looks online when researching healthcare providers and

care-related topics. The 2019 patient perspective survey results not only reinforce that fact, but also detail which

sources patients turn to most.

To determine how patients use online resources when

searching for doctors and dentists, we asked about two

steps in the decision-making process: First, when

patients form an opinion about a provider; then, when

they select a provider for care.

From a list of online sources, respondents chose patient reviews as the top contributing factor during both

steps of the process — referred to even more frequently

than the medical practice’s website.

74.6%

Percentage of patients who have looked online to find out about a

doctor, dentist, or care serviceNearly 1 in 3 patients

who look online for care say

they do so often.

59%

Percentage of patients who say online reviews contribute to their

decision when choosing a doctor


The top three sources are the same when patients

consider and then choose a provider:

Provider information on third-party websites

(ex. Google, Yelp, Vitals, Healthgrades)


1

2

3


Patients’ top resources when looking for care

Patient reviews: Heavily viewed and heavily trusted

There’s a simple reason prospective patients look to reviews most

often: They place enormous reliance on the content of those reviews.

positive patient reviews to be very or extremely important.

When choosing a provider,

69.9% of patients consider

Patients see online reviews as a trustworthy source; providers acknowledge that they can actually

move the needle for their business.

In 2018, 80.3 percent of healthcare providers said online reputation is very or extremely important.

The provider POV

Which help form your opinion of a healthcare provider?


Information found on other websites


54.6%

50.5%

43.6%


Information found on other websites


59%

49.9%

38.4%

Which contribute to your decision when choosing a provider?


who’ve posted reviews have posted to more than

one website.

41.2% of patientsMorgan N.

Morgan N.

Morgan N.

Don’t overlook third-party websites

Practices should also pay close attention to

their online profiles across the web, on sites

such as Google, Facebook, Healthgrades,

and Vitals: 57.1 percent of 18-44 year-old respondents list third-party websites as

a source when deciding on a provider.

Where do patients read reviews?

Google

WebMD

Yelp

Healthgrades

Facebook

48.8%

32.8%

22.8%

21.8%

16.8%

Where do patients post reviews?

Google


Yelp

Facebook

Healthgrades

39.2%

24.8%

23.8%

22.7%

17.8%


Patients give mostly positive feedback, but only about half are asked about their experienceOne of the two biggest online reputation mistakes that medical practices make is also the most easily remedied:

They don’t proactively ask patients about their experience. Based on PatientPop surveys, only about half of practices ask patients for feedback, even though an online review is the most influential component of online

healthcare research.

To stand out relative to other clinicians in their market, a provider or

practice (preferably both) wants to display strong metrics across the

three key characteristics of patient reviews: total number of reviews,

average star rating, and frequency of reviews.

To get there, providers have to start by getting reviews in the first place.

And that simply can’t be done without a steady stream of patient

feedback… and the only way to get feedback is to ask.

With a large majority of review submissions falling squarely in the

thumbs-up category, the simple conclusion is that positive reviews are there for the taking. However, a patient — or any consumer — is more

likely to share a negative experience than a positive one if not specifically

asked “How was your visit?”

When a practice can make feedback requests part of its workflow, the

balance of feedback and posted reviews are far more likely to lean toward the positive.

Practices that say they actively request feedback:

52.1%

Patients who say they’ve been asked for feedback:

(nearly 14 percent aren’t sure)45.5%

60.8% of patients who’ve posted

a review have never posted a

negative one

When asked for feedback,

patients are 22% more likely to

submit a review

Patients’ positive feedback — and a lack of feedback requests


Patient feedback is mostly positive, but only about half of patients are asked One of the biggest online reputation mistakes that medical practices make is also the most easily remedied: They

don’t proactively ask patients about their experience. Based on PatientPop surveys, only about half of practices ask patients for feedback, even though reviews from patients are the most influential component of online

healthcare research.

To stand out from other clinicians in their market, a provider or practice

(preferably both) needs to display strong metrics across the three key characteristics of patient reviews: total number of reviews, average star

rating, and frequency of reviews.

To get there, providers have to start by getting reviews in the first place.

And that simply can’t be done without a regular flow of patient

feedback… and the only way to get feedback is to ask.

With a large majority of review submissions falling squarely in the

thumbs-up category, the simple conclusion is that positive reviews are there for the taking. However, a patient — or any consumer — is more

likely to share a negative experience than a positive one if not specifically

asked “How was your visit?”

When a practice can make feedback requests part of its workflow,

feedback and posted reviews are more likely to lean toward the positive.

Practices that say they actively request feedback:

52.1%

Patients who say they’ve been asked for feedback:

(nearly 14 percent aren’t sure)45.5%

60.8% of patients who’ve posted

a care-related review have never

posted a negative one.

When asked for feedback,

patients are 22% more likely to

submit a review.


Most negative reviews are not addressed by providersWhile satisfied patients are more prevalent online than unhappy ones, the fact

remains more than 1 in 3 patients who’ve posted to a website have submitted a negative review. Negative reviews are going to pop up; they’re an unavoidable

aspect of customer service for any business, in any industry.

Regardless of how often (or rarely) a practice receives a negative review, every one of those reviews must be addressed. Far too often, they are not.

No one likes to be ignored, especially someone with an issue that’s

bothered them enough to share with others. Negative reviews can

already be damaging to your practice — a 2018 local consumer

review survey estimates that negative reviews can convince 40 percent of potential customers to avoid a business. Not tending to

negative feedback can make matters worse.

It tells the patient their complaint is not important enough to

discuss; it also conveys a lack of professionalism to prospective

patients who encounter the negative review when finding the

provider or practice online.

who posted negative reviews were not contacted by the

practice about their concerns

51.8% of patients ??

55.9 percent of healthcare providers said they don’t have a process when they receive negative feedback, or don’t respond to it at all.

The provider POV

The failure to address negative reviews


Most negative reviews are not addressed by providersWhile satisfied patients are more prevalent online than unhappy ones, the fact

remains more than 1 in 3 patients who’ve shared their experience online have submitted a negative review. Negative reviews are going to pop up; they’re an

unavoidable aspect of customer service for any business, in any industry.

Regardless of how often (or rarely) a practice receives a negative review, every one of those reviews must be addressed. Far too often, they are not.

No one likes to be ignored, especially someone with an issue that’s

bothered them enough to share with others. Negative reviews can

already be damaging to a practice — a 2018 BrightLocal consumer

review survey estimates that negative reviews can convince 40 percent of potential customers to avoid a business. Not tending to

negative feedback can make matters worse.

It tells the patient their complaint is not important enough to

discuss; it also conveys a lack of professionalism to those

prospective patients who encounter the negative review when

finding the provider or practice online.

who posted negative reviews were not contacted by the

practice about their concerns.

51.8% of patients ??

55.9 percent of healthcare providers said they don’t have a process to address negative feedback, or don’t respond to it at all.

The provider POV

https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/

https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/

The rate of satisfied patients doubles, increasing 99%.The rate of dissatisfied patients drops 59%.


Reaching out to unhappy patients improves patient satisfactionDissatisfied patients who share their dismay online pose

an immediate risk to a medical business because the

negative feedback — often voiced in frustration or anger

— can appear on a frequently visited website, for

anyone to see.

If that poor experience isn’t addressed, a dissatisfied

patient often stays dissatisfied.

Our survey results show that, regardless of the content of the patient’s review, when a provider (or practice staff member) reaches out to an unhappy patient, satisfaction rates improve dramatically:

by how the practice addressed their concerns

Of patients who posted a negative review,

46.4% were dissatisfied

These nearly identical

metrics compare two

conditions around

negative reviews that

should be much higher

throughout the industry:

practices who make

patient follow-up part of

their process; and patients

who feel satisfied after

being contacted.

of patients are very satisfied by

their practice’s response after

sharing negative feedback

18.8%of practices have a process to

follow up with patients sharing

negative feedback

18.8%

2018 survey 2019 survey

Patient contact improves satisfaction


Reaching out to unhappy patients improves patient satisfactionDissatisfied patients who share their dismay online pose

an immediate risk to a medical business because the

negative feedback — often voiced in frustration or anger

— can appear on a frequently visited website, for

anyone to see.

If that poor experience isn’t addressed, a dissatisfied patient often stays dissatisfied.

Our survey results show that, regardless of the reason for a patient’s review, when a provider (or practice staff member) reaches out to an unhappy patient, satisfaction rates improve dramatically:

with how the practice addressed their concerns.

Of patients who posted a negative review,

46.4% were dissatisfied

These nearly identical

metrics compare two

conditions around

negative reviews that

should be much higher

throughout the industry:

practices who make

patient follow-up part of

their workflow; and

patients who feel satisfied

after being contacted.

of patients are very satisfied by

their practice’s response after

sharing negative feedback

18.8%

2019 patient survey

of practices have a process to

follow up with patients who

share negative feedback

18.4%

2018 provider survey

The rate of satisfied patients doubles, increasing 99%.

The rate of dissatisfied patients drops 59%.

In short: Ignore your dissatisfied patients, and you’ll be overlooked as well.


Negative feelings sustain: patients speak out

When we asked patients how medical practices

responded to their negative feedback, we received a

handful of added comments in which people proactively

shared details of their unsatisfactory experiences.

Though anecdotal, these responses illustrate

patients’ need to be heard — and disappointment

when they’re not.

Why bother responding? Look beyond the numbers

You may feel a negative ding here and there is negligible if you already have a considerable number of patient

reviews. Mathematically, you’d be right. A couple 2-star reviews against 150 reviews won’t necessarily drag

down a high average star rating.

But ignoring negative reviews yields short-term losses and long-term trouble.

If you don’t respond — right there online, for starters — prospective patients will look at you negatively,

especially if the unfavorable reviews are recent. BrightLocal researchers found that 40 percent of consumers only consider reviews posted within the past two weeks.

Letting one to two reviews slide by every couple months will also chip away at your average star rating. If your

4.78 dips to a 4.55, it’s tougher to measure up to local providers in the 4.8 range.

Doctor or provider

Practice staff member

35.9%

64.1%

Who reaches out to dissatisfied patients?


One age group is most active online — and one is virtually ignoredOf the four age groups polled for the patient perspective survey, the 30-44 demographic is the most active in

looking for healthcare online, and relying upon and posting patient reviews. 2 out of 3 people in the 30-44 age group go online often to look for care.

Facts about patients age 30-44:

The only group in which more than half the respondents list three online sources as

contributing to their opinion of

providers (patient reviews, third-

party websites, practice

websites).

They post online reviews more

often, are most likely to post a

negative review, and are

contacted most often by a practice about negative

feedback.

Percentage of each age group that posts reviews

18-29yrs

30-44yrs

45-60yrs

Over 60yrs

36.7%

40.3%

33.2%

26.6%

Contacted by doctors or staff about negative feedback

18-29yrs

30-44yrs

Over 45yrs

57.7%

69.2%

24%

Percentage of those who’ve posted a negative review

18-29yrs

30-44yrs

45-60yrs

Over 60yrs

40%

42.9%

39.7%

29.4%

The most active online age group


One age group is most active online — and one is virtually ignoredOf the four age groups polled for the patient perspective survey, the 30-44 demographic is the most active in

looking for healthcare online, and relying upon and posting patient reviews. Two out of three people in the 30-44 age group go online often to look for care.

Facts about patients ages 30-44:

The only group in which more than half the respondents list three online sources as

contributing to their opinion of

providers (patient reviews, third-

party websites, practice

websites).

They post online reviews more

often, are most likely to post a

negative review, and are

contacted most often by a practice about negative

feedback.

Percentage of each age group that posts reviews

18-29 yrs

30-44 yrs

45-60 yrs

Over 60 yrs

36.7%

40.3%

33.2%

26.6%

Contacted by doctors or staff about negative feedback

18-29 yrs

30-44 yrs

Over 45 yrs

57.7%

69.2%

25%

Percentage of those who’ve posted a negative review

18-29 yrs

30-44 yrs

45-60 yrs

Over 60 yrs

40%

42.9%

39.7%

29.4%


Visited a doctor in the past 12 months

18-29 yrs

30-44 yrs

45-60 yrs

Over 60 yrs

77.4%

80.5%

86.8%

96.4%

Visited a dentist in the past 12 months

18-29 yrs

30-44 yrs

45-60 yrs

Over 60 yrs

63.8%

58.9%

62.7%

70.8%

Ages 45+: An overlooked age group

As shown in the last chart above, patients ages 45 and over who express

dissatisfaction with a practice are virtually disregarded, compared to other age

groups. Nearly 73 percent of the time, when posting a negative review, they are not contacted by the practice.

They may not share their experiences online as frequently (over-60 group is even less

active), but here’s what’s being overlooked: The age group that says they’re being ignored most often is also visiting the doctor most often.


SummaryFor healthcare providers, the results of the 2019 patient perspective survey on online

reputation reveals both troubling and promising news.

The most pressing reputation issue for providers appears to be twofold: first, far too

few practices are actively asking patients for feedback; second, even for those that

are, there is an overarching lack of attention paid to patients who voice their concerns

or displeasure with the patient experience.

More optimistic is that patients are going online for information more than ever, and

are likely to share positive feedback about their patient experience. When a medical

practice asks for feedback, it gets to the crux of building and maintaining a healthy

online reputation that can stand out, and satisfying patients — current and

prospective — who demand more from their healthcare experience than ever before.

MethodologyResults for the 2019 patient perspective survey report were gathered via a nationwide

online survey of 839 people conducted February 7-8, 2019. Respondents were 54.4%

female, with representation across four age groups: 18-29, 30-44, 45-60, and >60.

Responses were obtained via a SurveyMonkey Audience program, and participants

were not excluded at any point by way of a screening question.

About PatientPopPatientPop is the only complete practice growth solution that empowers healthcare

and wellness providers to thrive in the digital age. By enhancing and automating each

touchpoint in the patient journey — from first impression online, to digital booking, to

post-appointment follow-up — PatientPop makes it easy for providers to attract more

patients, manage online reputation, modernize the patient experience, and automate

the front office. For more information, visit patientpop.com.

https://patientpop.com

the patient perspective 2019: online reputation 20190601 … · online pro!les and patient reviews...

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