Dealing with Negative Comments Online
EXERCISE CAUTION AND RESTRAINT AROUND PHYSICIAN REVIEW SITES BY COPIC’S PATIENT SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
W
when looking for a primary care physician. Of those who used the
general, and only respond
that offer customer
web to search for physicians, 35%
once; be sure any response
reviews, there are endless opportu-
say they picked a doctor based on
is HIPAA-compliant—some
nities for sharing one’s opinions.
good ratings, while 27% reported
providers who have responded
avoiding those with bad ratings.
to negative reviews have
However, the legitimacy of these opinions — and making decisions
While you can’t control what is
inadvertently made the mistake
based on them — can be lead to a
posted, you can control how you
of revealing protected health
charged discussion, especially
react and take steps to deal with
information.
when it comes to medical care. For
this issue.
physicians, negative reviews can be frustrating because of concerns about how these may impact patient satisfaction scores or may not reflect the actual care provided. There is reason to be concerned. A recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings study1 showed that non-physician variables—such as interactions with desk staff, appointment access, waiting time, and billing— can appear to reflect unfairly on negative physician reviews. According to a 2014 JAMA article1, nearly 20% of surveyed patients said that physicians’
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• If you respond, keep it polite,
ITH the prominence of
social media and websites
• Many reviews focus on a provider’s indifference, bedside
A JANUARY 2016 MEDSCAPE ARTICLE2 TITLED, “TRASHED ON THE INTERNET: WHAT TO DO NOW” OFFERED THIS ADVICE REGARDING PHYSICIAN REVIEW SITES: • Recognize that negative reviews can happen to any physician. • Most review sites allow you to submit a complaint if you believe a comment is fraudulent; they may be able to track down the IP
manner, or customer service rather than his or her medical skills. Consider these types of comments as opportunities to improve your practice.
OTHER ACTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN MONITORING YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION: • Search your name or practice on a regular basis to see what comes up. • Set up Google Alerts (www.google.
address of the reviewer and, if
com/alerts) for your practice
the post is illegitimate, remove it.
name and the names of your
ratings on websites are very
• Reviews that sound irrational to
important, and 40% said the
you are likely to sound irrational
websites are somewhat important,
to others.
physicians. • If you are listed on a physician review site, review your profile
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