Who Reads Physicians Online Reviews
In today’s digital world, we hardly ask for job references, clients or patients referrals anymore. We quickly run a search on Google or any other search engine. Woo unto you if your name or that of your practice returns either negative news, patients complains, malpractice verdicts, messy divorce or any other questionable material.
As a physician, you are certainly judged by your search results. Your patients could simply be reading a critical article, a deceptive blog or even some outdated news about you. Typically, there is a whole lot of bad press hanging around the internet that is likely to harm your online reputation.
Naturally, once your online reputation lags behind, it means that those new patients
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The software will always let you choose which reviews you want published or discarded.
Since patients are paying so much attention to these reviews, Google and other search engines are now paying close attention to online reviews for doctors and medical practices.
Why is online reputation important for Medical Practitioners?
Doctors who maintain their brands online say that about 10% to 15% of their patients found them through their online presence. That included Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn profile or their blog.
Physicians are therefore advised to Google themselves severally to see what comes out from the search engines. No doctor would want to be described by a blog article that has been thrown out of proportion. A negative review from a doctors review website can be equally damaging. Doctors should, therefore, manage their online reputation now before someone else does.
How can Doctors combine social media tools and reputation management software to manage their reputation
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This will have already given them enough mileage. Some may, however, want to increase their presence in social platforms and engage with patients via twitter and Facebook.
Patients, on the other hand award physicians and health practices that use digital tools like blogs, facebook, twitter and LinkedIn. They often book appointments with such practices simply because they connect better with them. They also appear to be more caring and overly supportive.
In conclusion, doctors need to be practical about their online engagement and reputation. Doctors will always have an online presence probably from a third party review site, whether they know it or not. This is not the first online notion that any sensible doctor would want to give patients.
Remember:-
• What is online can either make or break your profession. Patient’s recommendations significantly influence the decision process of other prospective
Caveat lector is a Latin phrase meaning, “let the reader beware.” Health information on the internet is growing at an alarming rate. However, some information on the internet is not accurate or current, and unfortunately, many web sites regarding healthcare offer misleading, incomplete, and incorrect information. Many consumers do not have the knowledge to judge and evaluate the quality of online information. This paper aims to discuss how the website WebMD presents information to readers. It will evaluate WebMD according to its source, where was the source obtained; type of funding, is it commercially funded or private; the validity and quality, how valid is the information and can it be verified; and privacy, is your personal information protected and how?
Technology is a driving force in our society. People can now manage their bank accounts, pay bills, and get their news with the click of the mouse. It only makes sense that the health care industry would join in on these web-based initiatives. More and more providers are using online patient portals as a means for communicating with patients and allowing them to have access to important health information. While patient portals are still in their emerging stages, positive results are being reported from patients and healthcare professionals alike. Online patient portals allow more effective communications between patients and their healthcare professionals by developing stronger, more utilized relationships and by creating a way to get information out to patients more efficiently. Through this enhanced communication there will be patients that are more actively engaged in their treatment, have stronger relationships with their healthcare professionals, and in many cases have improved medical conditions.
Cambell, L. C., Ed.D, Eichhorn, K. C., PhD, Early, C., Caraccioli, P., & Greeley, A. E., .S.T. (2012). Applying the transtheoretical model to improve social media use in the health care industry. American Journal of Health Studies, 27(4), 236-244.
Randolph, S. A. (2012). Using Social Media and Networking in Health Care. Workplace Health & Safety, 60(1), 44-44.
According to an article written by Scranton University, the positive affects that social media has on Healthcare
Doctors have always been regarded as one of the most prestigious professions in the United States. It is up there with lawyers and political leaders. Doctors they are usually considered pillars of their communities. From the beginning of our lives to the end of them we spend quite a lot of time with our doctor’s. It would make sense that we would want to know that there is always going to be enough of them to cover all Americans. With the addition of millions of previously uninsured Americans, thanks to the new healthcare reform, the looming threat of a doctor’s shortage is real, and possibly one that we might not have a real answer to.
In the past few years, the popularity of social media has increased tremendously. The board and evolving term ‘social media’ can be defined as a group of web-based applications and technology such as Facebook and Twitter that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content (Power, 2014). A myriad number of social media tools such as Facebook, YouTube, WebMD are available for health care professionals in Australia and globally (Power, 2014). Social Media is valued in health care as it can improve professional networking, student’s education,
These days’ health care systems are using social media to improve quality and safety of overall health care delivery, through access to information. Nurses as well as patients can get deta...
Health care must be fully accountable for quality and the patient experience is simply the patient's perception of quality. Society should question and debate on how healthcare organizations should show improvement for consumers. This can help organizations create reliable health coverage cost and evaluate medical performances for families and individuals in the future. Physicians and organizations are now evaluating patients with collection of electronic data to improve a patient’s...
Selvam, A. (2012). The recruiting network. Social media sites, tools become increasingly popular on both sides of job search. Modern Healthcare, 42(31), 36-37.
One study showed that this was not a major concern or populations that may not have access to technology (Lim, Kang, Shin, Lee, Yoon, Yu, Kim, Yoo, Jung, Park, Ryu & Jang 2011). Furthermore, this level does not need to be web-based. The use of care coaches and healthcare navigators can full the technology void. At this level, patients also view their electronic medical records. This will help for patients to be able to spot errors, be more informed, and inspire them to do more for themselves in terms of self-care and
Mediklik: Changing People Views On Healthcare Browsing The Internet's powerful impacts on "health seekers": Fifty-two million American grown-ups, or 55% of those with Internet access, have utilized the Web to get health or medical data. We call them "health seekers" and a majority part of them go online at any rate once every month for health data. We utilize the term "e-patient" to describe this group. For illness, including mental sickness, more than for wellness:
(p. e33) The fact that local health departments have Twitter accounts is proof that the medical community is taking steps in the right direction. Reaching the local public through Twitter or other forms of social media can keep them abreast of local health situations such as flu statistics. One of the most interesting articles I read concerning healthcare and social media was the case of Hello Health.
When it comes to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, nobody wants to think about the negative effects it has on patients. Brian Cayko, the director of clinical education in the respiratory care program at Great Falls College, Montana State University in Great Falls, Montana argues that social media makes it easier for patients. When a patient is not able to acquire care at the medical facility, they can get in touch with their respiratory therapist with the use of social media sites. Cayko also states that social media sites can be helpful as “educational resources, patient support and social and professional networking.” I think that Cayko knows that everyone must remember the negative things about social media and the internet, with the understanding that just because it’s on the web doesn’t mean that it is the truth. No, not everything is wrong with social media sites, I am involved in social media sites myself; however, personally I know that when it comes to an occupation especially in the medical field, you have to be more aware of the negatives than the
But overall experts cannot always be trusted. For example, I often attend the ‘health food’ store with my mother, a place stacked floor to ceiling with vitamins and supplements. One of the workers there only a sophomore in college often suggests certain supplements to the customers. Most take the supplements, purchase them and walk out happy. They trust his opinion. In their eyes he is an expert. Has he had medical training? No. Does he believe it what he offers to the customers? His eyes seem to say so. The customers are looking for a way to solve status ailment and he gives his advice. He’s is very important to people who have little idea what they are doing. Maybe one customer will get curious about this ‘experts’ advice and ask his doctor about it and learn some facts.