Patients are taking online doctor reviews seriously, but many physicians—not so much.

That’s the main takeaway from a survey of nearly 900 consumers from patient engagement services provider PatientPop Inc.

The survey reveals that 74.6% of people have looked online to find out about a doctor, a dentist, or medical care, but 51.8% of patients who’ve submitted negative feedback about their provider experience had not been contacted by the practice to address their concerns.

“It’s common knowledge that most people look online when researching healthcare providers and care-related topics, but the industry is now experiencing the next level of patient empowerment and engagement,” says PatientPop CEO Luke Kervin.

The survey finds most people consider patient reviews the most critical resource when choosing a healthcare provider, with seven of 10 respondents saying they place high importance on a provider’s online reviews.

Other survey findings include:

• 57.1% of people go online sometimes or often to look for care;
• When practices address a patient’s negative feedback, the rate of patient satisfaction roughly doubles;
• Patients 30-44 are the most active age group when looking for providers (85.8%), checking reviews (65%), and posting a review (40.3%).

“Now is the time for practices to take action since patients demand greater convenience and easier access to care—providers who deliver this are much more likely to be a top choice in their market,” Kervin says.

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