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Study Finds 85% of Patients Choose Doctors Based on Reviews

You see it every day in the office. For better or worse, patients are becoming more “educated” and asking more questions. More and more patients are turning to websites like WebMD, Vitals.com, RateMDs and Healthgrades.com to help them make decisions on what practitioner to choose.

A recent study from Software Advice, outlined some truly alarming statistics that healthcare practitioners need to be aware of.  Here are some of the highlights:

Patient Use of Review Sites Jumped 68%

Significantly more patients are using online reviews to help choose a practitioner.  In fact, from 2013 to 2014, there was a 68% increase in the usage of online reviews and we expect another big increase in 2015.  Practices that take a more proactive approach to building positive reviews now will help draw more new patient inquiries and trust in the future.

61% of Patients Use Online Reviews Before Choosing a Provider

The majority of patients are using online reviews before they choose a provider.  However 39% of people use reviews to evaluate their current provider or after they have selected a provider. This data highlights just how important reviews can be to both grow and maintain your patient census.

Patients Choose Doctors Based on Positive Reviews

85% of patients that use reviews reported they would be at least moderately likely to chose one provider over another based on positive reviews.  Practices should take the extra step to encourage more positive reviews from their patients.

Physician_Reviews

Patients Want to Feel Validated

The study looked at the most sought after information patients look for.  Quality of care led the way with 45% but a close second were “Ratings” with 40% of patients reporting they value this most.  This shows that patients want to feel validated they chose the right provider.

Patients Will Go Out-of-Network Based on Reviews

A whopping 44% of people reported they would actually go to an out-of-network doctor if their reviews were better than those of in-network doctors. Considering the increased personal cost of going out-of-network, this highlights just how impactful positive reviews can be for a practice.

 

Ready to Generate More Reviews for Your Practice?

At BARQAR, we specialize in helping healthcare practices generate more online reviews.  Learn more about our physician review system and on-site patient app that will help you generate immediate patient feedback and reviews.

 

 

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