Actions speak louder than words; numbers don’t lie, and data is a doctor’s best friend when determining a marketing strategy. Case in point: Online reviews, where people’s actions have the power to make or break a doctor’s reputation; the numbers add up to enhance it, and the data provide insights on how a practice can benefit from the process.
The following 12 statistics tell the tale:
30: Percentage of healthcare consumers who claim viewing online ratings/reviews is their first step in doctor search (National Research Corp.)
60: Percentage of healthcare consumers who feel online ratings/reviews are important during a new physician search (National Research Corp.)
45: Percentage of healthcare consumers who have viewed provider ratings/reviews before (National Research Corp.)
61: Percentage of aesthetic patients who consider online review sites an important resource when learning about a doctor (RealSelf)
78: Percentage of aesthetic consumers who consider reviews important before selecting a doctor (RealSelf)
43: Percentage of healthcare consumers currently in need of a doctor who plan to use online reviews/ratings to find one (National Research Corp.)
31: Percentage of healthcare consumers who have selected a doctor based on a positive review (National Research Corp.)
32: Percentage of healthcare consumers who have avoided a doctor based on a negative review (National Research Corp.)
70: Percentage of consumers who would like to see performance data before choosing a healthcare provider (National Research Corp.)
88: Percentage of aesthetic patients who wouldn’t consider a doctor that didn’t have visible patient reviews (RealSelf)
4.7: Average star rating (out of 5) of user reviews on RealSelf
All of which makes statistic #12 quite possibly the most important one of all:
100% of smart doctors recognize the value of online reviews.