Facebook is one of the most common places patients share physician experiences online, but users don't use the social network to assess their next provider, according to a survey from Binary Fountain, an online reputation management company.
Binary Fountain commissioned market research firm OnePoll to conduct its survey on digital engagement among healthcare consumers. From July 11-13, OnePoll polled more than 1,000 American adults who reported having a physician.
Here are five survey insights into how patients share their healthcare experiences online:
1. Roughly half of Americans (51 percent) indicated they share their healthcare experiences using either social media or online review sites, a 65 percent increase from Binary Fountain's 2017 survey results.
2. Millennials are most likely to share their healthcare experiences online, with 70 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 reporting they have done so.
3. Facebook is the most used channel to share healthcare experiences online for older millennials and Gen Xers (ages 25 to 54). Among younger millennials aged 18 to 24, Google is the most common online platform to share healthcare experiences.
4. The majority of Americans (70 percent) indicated online ratings and review sites have influenced their decision when selecting a physician. Forty-one percent of patients said they checked online ratings and reviews of their physician, even when referred by another provider.
5. A few of the common websites patients use to select a physician are the hospital or clinic's website (34 percent), Google (29 percent), WebMD (18 percent), Healthgrades (15 percent) and Facebook (12 percent).
To view Binary Fountain's survey, click here.