What do patients think of you?

Jane Braithwaite

The power of the patient testimonial presents a growing challenge for doctors in private practice. Jane Braithwaite shows how to keep up to speed with this phenomenon, the best way to deal with a bad review and how this can be managed so your practice gets the best out of these sites.

It’s a familiar situation: you need a particular service but don’t know where to start. Hotel recommendations, restaurant reviews, a good electrician…

Our first point of call is usually a preferred search engine, followed by a thorough read of the reviews of countless service providers.

Word of mouth still plays a part in identifying and eventually choosing a service, but sites such as TripAdvisor, Glassdoor and Checkatrade have all become go-to places for people looking for a glimpse at what they can expect before committing to a purchase or organising a service.

The situation is no different when it comes to private healthcare. A recent survey conducted by Software Advice found that around 80% of patients use online reviews when searching for doctors.