Search engines are usually the first place patients go when seeking a healthcare provider, so it's imperative hospitals keep tabs on their online reputation, according to a report released March 16 by brand management firm Reputation.
The researchers analyzed about 2.8 million online patient reviews across 179,073 physicians and locations. Here are five notable findings from the report:
- Online review volume jumped 50 percent for hospitals and 58 percent for physicians in 2021 compared with 2020.
- Seventy-two percent of U.S. adults read online patient ratings and reviews when choosing a provider, and 65 percent of U.S. adults said they expect providers to respond to reviews.
- Seventy-two percent of healthcare consumers want their provider to be rated 4 out of 5 stars or higher in online reviews.
- Google is the most popular source among healthcare consumers for searching for providers — more popular than provider websites, healthcare-specific websites or social media.
- A physician's bedside manner is the biggest driver of positive sentiment among healthcare consumers. Ratings of staff were one of the biggest drivers of negative sentiment.