Key points

You thrived through medical school, aced your fellowships, got privileges in the prestigious teaching hospital of your choice, and are on your way to a brilliant career taking care of patients.

Then one day, when you least expect it, someone posts an anonymous review on Yelp about how badly they were treated in your practice, and you feel demoralized.

You are not alone. If you ask some of your closest colleagues, they will likely share their frustration with online reviews from anonymous sources as well as real patients. There is no need to panic, but you shoud pay attention to turn your review status around.

The advent of online review websites and social media has transformed how patients choose their doctors of all specialties. Your online presence, including before and after patient outcomes, photos, reviews, testimonials, website, and social media channels may be the first impression patients see.

Patients have more options than ever before. They are very well informed from numerous sources, including social media channels, and tend to have high expectations. They seek providers who not only demonstrate medical expertise and publish their work, but also exhibit qualities such as empathy, clear communication, and accessibility. A strong online reputation showcasing these traits can significantly influence a patient’s decision to book an appointment to see you rather than a med spa across town.

Defining reputation management

Reputation management is a critical tool that can directly influence the way your brand is perceived by current patients as well as prospective ones. Having a robust presence online is an essential credential to attract the patients you want to see in your waiting room. Ideally, you can continue to take care of the patients you have currently, as well as a demographic who you want to attract.

For example, you may be seeing a lot of seniors on your schedule to treat their medical conditions and would like to transition to treat more cosmetic patients who pay for their treatments out of pocket. Being active on key social media platforms with the right tone, content, and imagery can help you to acheive that goal.

Get to know the basics

Reputation management is not just about handling a one-off unflattering review. In the current climate, it is a critical success factor for all businesses to manage their online reputation.

Whenever someone searches for your name or your brand, they are likely to go directly to the first page of Google. However, if they are not impressed by what they read, they may not go any further and stop the search there if they don’t like what they read. The first information they find may provide everything they need to know to want to dive a little deeper or just move on. Even a few negative comments popping up can affect your reputation and the perception of your practice.

When prospective patients read positive comments, 4–5-star reviews, photos of happy patients, and outcomes that impress them, they are more likely to want to learn more about those practices. Alternatively, if they have difficulty finding a practice that was recommended or read negative comments or complaints they may be easily turned off. Anything online that may raise doubts about your practice, results, staff, or the experience in your practice may be turning away the patients you most want to take care of.

According to Hubspot, “Reputation management is the act of managing public perceptions about a business or enterprise. This process has become more important as online conversations about businesses become the norm. When your reputation is positive, you inspire customer loyalty, a significant driver of revenue and growth. A negative reputation can be damaging to sales and customer retention, but it also helps you to learn what customers like, which can be helpful for updating business process to better meet customer needs.”

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  Sources where consumers can find and post reviews:

  
  
  
  
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    (These vary based on your market)

    
    
    
    
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      Better Business Bureau

      
      
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      City Search

      
      
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      Facebook

      
      
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      Glassdoor

      
      
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      Google and Google My Business

      
      
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      Healthgrades

      
      
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      Instagram

      
      
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      RateMDs

      
      
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      RealSelf

      
      
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      Reddit

      
      
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      Scoredoc.com

      
      
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      SuperPages

      
      
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      RateMDs

      
      
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      TikTok

      
      
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      Tripadvisor

      
      
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      Trustpilot

      
      
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      Twitter (X)

      
      
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      Vitals

      
      
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      WebMD

      
      
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      WhatsApp

      
      
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      Yahoo Local

      
      
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      Yelp

      
      
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      YouTube

      
      
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      Zocdoc

    
    

  
  

Protecting your digital footprint

It is critically important to monitor the most important sites that matter to your brand on a routine basis and enlist someone in your practice to stay on top of it. If you are not monitoring your online presence effectively, you may not even realize that you may be losing patients to another practice in your market.

Negative reviews may originate from unhappy patients, competitors, disgruntled former employees, vendors you may have fired, former partners, and anyone whom you have had a disagreement with. If the review seems to be fake, such as a random post complaining about a treatment you do not offer, you may have some recourse, but it can be a laborious task with little yield.

Every negative search result can damage your reputation, even if ever so slightly. If you have just a few negative results in a plethora of glowing reviews, you are doing well and can take a bow. However, if several negative search results appear on the first page, it should be addressed. Focus on posting content and positive reviews so that the less impressive results get buried on the next page.

If it is positive, you may want to thank the patient for their feedback offline. If you know who the patient is, you may even send a thank you note to welcome them back. However, be mindful that in the USA and many other markets, physicians of all or most specialties are prohibited from acknowledging a doctor-patient relationship in an open forum. Failure to adhere to that restriction can have dire consequences.

Check all relevant social media platforms, including those that you may not actively use, for comments about your practice and providers. Monitor Google for negative comments about your practice name, brand, and the medical staff in your practice. Ensure that your business name, address, phone number, and other basic contact details are accurate everywhere that your business is listed or may be mentioned.

There are services that claim to make your negative reviews magically disappear, but proceed with caution as these may be a scam. Keep in mind that savvy patients may also become suspicious if you have all 5-star reviews.

Strategies for elevating your reputation

Original content posted on your website can be a very important reputation management tool. Your website is most likely to turn up when someone searches on Google for your name, practice, or brand name. You can acquire additional assets from media hits, articles, blogs, social channels, Google ads, and every other source where people may look for information in general.

Creating unique and relevant content throughout your website is the best practice to keep your target audience engaged and following your other channels. Make sure to link all your social media channels to your website as well, so that visitors can follow you online.

Most valuable content to elevate your practice

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  Organic content is king

  
  
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  Short-form and long-form videos perform well

  
  
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  Infographics can be good fillers

  
  
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  Eye catching, unique images

  
  
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  Patient photos and videos

  
  
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  LinkedIn for business

  
  
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  Instagram Live, Reels, Threads

  
  
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  Facebook

  
  
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  WhatsApp

  
  
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  TikTok

  
  
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  YouTube Shorts

  
  
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  Pinterest

It is vitally important to actively manage your professional reputation to build trust with patients and ensure the survival and growth of your practice. In today’s hyper competitive market, maintaining positive reviews enables a strong online presence that can help professionals thrive.

Monitoring your reputation online 24/7

If you are not being proactive to pay close attention to what patients, colleagues, vendors, and others are saying about you and your practice, you may be putting your reputation at risk unwittingly.

Regularly track mentions of your name, brand, or practice across the internet, including social media, review sites, and news articles. To be even more diligent, check potential misspellings of your name and practice name to stay on top of any potential threats that may affect your reputation.

Responding to negative reviews in an open forum may have consequences. Making the decision to respond to a negative review online is widely discouraged. As discussed previously, due to the Hippocratic Oath, physicians are prohibited from acknowledging the doctor-patient relationship. This can result in a serious violation that may cause you significant grief and a ding to your reputation. Once you post, you will own it, even if you take it down. It only takes one person to read it, and your comments may live online forever.

If you think the best way to distill an unhappy vocal patient is online, think it through before you act. It may be safer to post a very basic comment, before or instead of acknowledging a problem, but that can put you at risk. Avoid getting into a dialogue with a patient who is unhappy in an open forum. It is wise to keep all comments to a minimum and try to take it offline. Responding to negative comments can be very risky and is generally not recommended.

Reading your reviews can be extremely informative and often humbling, if you are open to making improvements. It may enlighten you to how you and your team are perceived, if you keep an open mind. These insights may be valuable to educate the whole team and position your practice as a business that is kind, caring, rational, and sensitive to the needs of patients. If a patient wants to discuss his/her circumstances with the practice, the best way to start that conversation is by getting off the internet and contacting the practice directly. The practice has not promised anything, which is wise, but it is not stonewalling, either. The outcome, favorable or unfavorable, will be determined by the private conversation that takes place between the patient and their care provider.

When in doubt about how to handle an unpleasant patient commentary online, reach out to your medical insurance carrier for assistance before taking any measures on your own. The last consideration may be enlisting an attorney with experience in defamation cases; however, this choice can come with potential risks that may escalate the situation.

Building long-term trust with patients

Trust is the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship, and reputation plays a pivotal role in fostering that trust. A positive reputation signals a professional who is competent and trustworthy. Conversely, negative reviews or a lack of online presence can erode that trust even before a patient meets the doctor. If they have difficulty finding you or your practice online, those patients may just move on to another practice.

Proactive reputation management involves maintaining accurate information on the channels and directories that are relevant to your mission. When doctors take the time to respond to patient concerns in person, it can demonstrate commitment to superior patient care and rebuild trust and credibility.

For physicians and all health care providers, reputation management directly impacts their professional success and ability to attract new patients. In an increasingly competitive market, a robust reputation can be a differentiating factor that sets one provider apart from all the others. Positive reviews and 5-star ratings can drive more patients to your practice, and more of the patients you ideally want to treat.

Patients who feel valued and well cared for are more likely to recommend their doctor to others, both online and offline. This can generate favorable word-of-mouth advertising, amplified by a trustworthy online presence, which factors into a positive cycle of patient acquisition and retention. Happy and satisfied patients can become your number one source of referrals because they will be more trusted any paid ads, modern websites, or Google.

Reputation management does more than attract patients; it also encourages continuous improvement in health care delivery. Actively monitor feedback, as it can provide valuable insights into patient needs and areas for improvement. This kind of feedback can lead to enhanced communication, a better bedside manner, and overall improvements in patient relations and care.

Moreover, a focus on reputation underscores the importance of ethical practices and professional integrity. Physicians who prioritize their reputation are more likely to adhere to high standards of care, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence within their practices.

Five key strategies for reputation management

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  Monitor your online presence: Regularly check review sites and social media platforms to stay informed about what patients are saying about your brand.

  
  
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  Encourage positive reviews: Ask satisfied patients to leave reviews on reputable platforms that matter to your practice.

  
  
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  Respond to feedback carefully: Address positive feedback promptly and with thanks, but be very cautious about responding to negative comments in any open forum, and take it offline.

  
  
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  Engage on the social media channels your patients spend time on: Use social media platforms to share your expertise, educate patients, and promote your practice and outcomes in a positive light.

  
  
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  Expand your visibility though multiple relevant channels: print, relevant social media sites, practice website, trade journals, videos, and events.

Summary

Reputation management is no longer optional for doctors or most other health care providers. These may include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses. It is a vital component of every medical practice, just as it is for lawyers and other professionals.

A strong, positive reputation builds trust, can attract and retain patients, and drives continuous improvement in health care delivery. By proactively managing their reputations, doctors can not only ensure their success, but also contribute to a higher standard of care that will ultimately benefit their patients.

Embracing reputation management as an integral aspect of your practice will help to position you to thrive in a competitive landscape. Prioritizing patient satisfaction, ethical practices, and professional development can build lasting trust with the community you serve.

Due to social media channels and the plethora of review sites, every review that ranks less than a 4 can affect the way new patients may consider your practice. Sustaining a positive online reputation can go far to attract and retain the patients you want to have in your practice, and build trust with current and future patients.

In conclustion, if you are not monitoring how your brand comes across online to prospective patients, we can say with certainty that you are putting your practice and reputation at risk. Once your reputation has been tarnished, it may take months to many years to restore it in your community.

By taking the necessary steps to proactively managing your reputation, dermatologists and their staffs can build strong relationships with their patients and communities for their careers.