Importance of Patient Feedback in Healthcare & How to Provide it
The number of patients reading online reviews before ever setting foot into a doctor’s office is increasing day by day. According to a report in 2013, nearly half of the patients who were surveyed opted to see a doctor who had received positive reviews. This was a really interesting report as it shed light on the mindset of people these days. Earlier, it used to be just word of mouth for the patients to go see a doctor. But now, the game has completely changed and online good will matters as well. Patient feedback is imperative and reviews are a primitive step in the same direction. It will always be beneficial if there is a well-designed patient feedback software to identify the gaps in the services provided which will, in turn, increase patient engagement as well as the good will of the doctor. A significant increase in the revenue will also be observed by just implementing this thoughtful step towards the needs of the patients.
Here are 5 Reasons Why Patient Feedback is Important: •
•
Understanding Reviews Patients leave 5-star ratings and/or positive reviews but it is important to study these reviews as well. It is crucial to dig deeper to understand what is the motivation behind their reviews. This will help you in gaining additional perspective. A well-maintained healthcare feedback system will go beyond online reviews and can give you more information about each episode of care. It can also help you understand the reasons behind positive, negative and neutral reviews. This will help you in spotting the trend and also the flaws in the service which will be a great asset for improvement. Reputation Management In today’s competitive healthcare market, managing your online reputation is necessary to stand out. Your patients not only leave ratings and online reviews, but they also make referrals on social media and tell others about the service which you provided, how long they had to wait, what treatment did they receive from the doctor and the staff, and lastly and most importantly whether or not they felt their provider was trustworthy and knowledgeable.