How to handle negative reviews

As patients increasingly use online reviews to express their opinions about their medical care and search for doctors, practices need to be paying attention to this information. Brett Robinson, MD, FAAFP, of Salem, Ore., recommends the following approach to neutralize negative reviews:

1. Monitor and respond to them. “I have turned off the ability for patients or other visitors to post on my clinic's Facebook page, so I don't have to monitor reviews there,” says Robinson. “Google reviews are more important, so I respond to negative reviews with comments such as, ‘We work hard and appreciate your feedback, which has helped us grow.’”

2. Encourage more patients to post reviews. “I do this by periodically posting a notice in the waiting room window with a QR code patients can scan with their mobile device and link to the Google review page for our clinic,” he says. “I also offer a $5 gift card to a local café to anyone who leaves a review (positive or negative, although we request that patients let us know directly if they have a concern).”

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