Welcome to the brave new world of healthcare, where more and more people are using the Internet to compare hospitals and physicians in order to make a more informed decision. According to recent surveys, 25% of patients now use the Internet to find a doctor, 42% use social media to read reviews about doctors and hospitals, and 72 percent have looked for health information online.

Google Plus, Yelp and Healthgrades.com are just three of the websites that consumers are flocking to in record numbers to read reviews of hospitals and physicians.

It doesn’t take much to imagine the power of a negative review communicated via social media. In years past, a disgruntled patient would have shared his or her dissatisfactions with a few family members or friends. Today, with a single online post, their feelings are communicated instantly with a potential audience of tens of thousands of prospective patients.

Still, a negative review can be an opportunity for hospitals. Instead of never knowing that the patient was dissatisfied, hospitals can now receive consumer feedback almost immediately and use that information make things right. For example, one hospital reported that a Yelp reviewer changed his original post from a one-star to a four-star rating after the hospital listened to the complaint and took action to solve the problem—all within 24 hours of the initial review being posted.

The lesson is clear: Consumer reviews posted on social media have made it even more imperative for both hospitals and physicians to make the patient experience a top priority.

To learn more about how your hospital can use social media to maximize your ROI, call Brentwood Communications at 615-425-0821.

Next post: Why your CEO needs to be the Chief (Patient) Experience Officer.