In today’s digital-first world, healthcare organizations can no longer afford to ignore the power of online reviews and social media. Healthcare has become more transparent and the wide adoption of social media and search platforms has transformed how people make decisions. From researching the best health plan on the ACA marketplace to reading practice reviews when looking for a new doctor, it’s never been easier for consumers to exchange opinions and experiences with broad online audiences.
Establishing a strategic playbook for managing online feedback is one of the most important things you can do as a healthcare marketer or communications professional to safeguard your brand’s online reputation. This strategic document establishes the best practices for responding to comments, engaging with people and safeguarding your brand. Our Activate Health team has extensive experience managing online reviews and social media for companies across the healthcare ecosystem. We’ve compiled some tips to help you create a well-crafted playbook to support your online review and social media healthcare strategy.
Why online reviews matter more than ever
Online reviews are becoming as vital in healthcare as in any consumer industry. Studies show that 50% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. For healthcare organizations, this statistic can’t be ignored. Online feedback has the power to sway potential customers before they ever step foot in your door.
From Facebook to Google Reviews, online feedback circulates widely, creating opportunities and risks for healthcare organizations. A playbook helps manage these platforms proactively and ensure your brand remains trustworthy, approachable and aligned with consumer expectations.
HIPAA and beyond: How healthcare differs from other industries
When it comes to responding to online reviews and comments on social media, healthcare is held to a higher standard than other industries. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets strict regulations on patient privacy and these rules extend to the digital sphere. HIPAA ensures that patient health information remains private, meaning healthcare organizations cannot disclose any protected health information (PHI) in their responses to online reviews. This includes confirming whether or not the person is a patient at all!
While responding to feedback is critical for engagement, healthcare marketers must navigate these interactions cautiously. Gathering stakeholder feedback across departments, especially legal, is important in crafting a comprehensive healthcare review management strategy.
Each organization will have different needs, but consider looping in the following people:
- Legal and compliance teams: Have the legal team review and bless your playbook to ensure your review management process adheres to HIPAA regulations and other privacy laws.
- Customer service: These teams often interact directly with consumers and can provide valuable insight to common concerns and how to address them.
- Marketing and communications: Ensuring the tone and messaging align with your brand’s voice is essential for maintaining consistency across all interactions.
Building consensus among these groups will help avoid pitfalls in consumer interactions and ensure your responses are thoughtful and compliant.
Building out your playbook: Agency best practices
Once you’ve gathered feedback and aligned your stakeholders, it’s time to develop the practical elements of your online review and social media playbook. This playbook should provide clear guidelines for monitoring online feedback, handling various reviews and engaging with people effectively. Here are the key best practices to include:
- Define your online “listening” strategy
The first step in managing online feedback is a strong listening system. Monitoring tools like Google Alerts, paid social media listening platforms and review tracking services can help you stay on top of interactions across multiple platforms. A proactive “listening” strategy allows your team to respond quickly and appropriately, addressing concerns before they escalate. It also helps you reinforce positive feedback and build trust.
2. Map out resolution pathways
Your playbook should outline a clear process for handling different types of feedback, from positive comments to more complex complaints. Map out resolution pathways that detail how your team should respond to or escalate various scenarios, including:
- Positive reviews: Acknowledge and thank the reviewer for their feedback.
- Neutral reviews: Focus on addressing any concerns or questions. Acknowledge their experience and ask how you can improve.
- Negative reviews: Offer a professional, empathetic response while avoiding any discussion of PHI or private details. This is where a well-defined escalation process is critical—some negative feedback may need to be referred to customer service teams for further action. Knowing who to route concerns or feedback to ahead of time can help you quickly resolve issues before they snowball out of control.
3. Pre-draft responses for different feedback scenarios
Pre-drafted responses can save time while ensuring consistency in tone and compliance. However, these templates should still allow room for personalization to avoid coming across as generic or insincere. Here are some examples:
- Positive feedback:
“Thank you for your kind words! We’re happy to hear you had a great experience with us. Your feedback is important to us.” - Neutral feedback:
“Thank you for your feedback. We’re committed to improving and would appreciate any additional insights you can share.” - Negative feedback:
“We’re sorry to hear about your experience and take your concerns seriously. Please contact our customer relations team at [contact info] so we can better understand the situation and address it.” Tip: It’s best to take negative conversations offline or into direct messages (DMs) as soon as possible to help people one-on-one.
Managing online reviews and social media effectively is essential for maintaining your healthcare organization’s reputation. A well-developed playbook ensures your team is prepared to respond to feedback while upholding the highest privacy and satisfaction standards. By combining thoughtful stakeholder input, proactive monitoring and strategic response pathways, you can turn online feedback into an opportunity to strengthen your brand and improve the consumer experience.
Need help developing a solid social media healthcare strategy for your brand? Activate Health understands the ins and outs of healthcare like no one else. Contact us and learn how our expertise can drive success for your team.