![]() ![]() Other health care providers have entered into settlement agreements for disclosing identifiable patient information online. State attorneys general can also investigate complaints.įor example, a North Carolina dental practice had to pay a $50,000 civil penalty for responding to a patient’s negative review by detailing their experience with the patient. The Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR) allows patients to file complaints when they feel their HIPAA protections have been violated. ![]() But fines might also apply if your response merely confirms that a patient was indeed at your practice. A social media management tool is often useful collating all reviews across platforms, making it easier to respond to or report reviews from one central location.ĭental practices can be fined thousands of dollars for responding to online reviews with identifiable patient information, such as a patient’s name, insurance information, treatment plan, and/or cost information. You may also want to watch for any reviews left on your company’s Facebook page. In most cases, it’s enough to only check the two most popular review sites, Google and Yelp. Whether or not you’ve encouraged patients to post reviews, you should look for online comments periodically. These activities can show up when a prospective patient does an online search for your practice, and can help you build a positive online reputation, without reviews. Likewise, if you maintain a social media presence for your practice, ensure that you are posting relevant information on a regular basis. If you have a website, review it regularly to see when it was last updated (hours, insurance, upcoming holiday closures, etc). Use incognito mode so you can see what potential patients see. Start by Googling your name and/or your practice’s name. You or a trusted staff member should periodically monitor your online reputation. In this toolkit, you will find details to help you manage your online reputation - including online reviews - while maintaining patient privacy to comply with applicable laws such as HIPAA. The same HPI survey found that 39% of dentists said they were unable to respond to reviews due to HIPAA regulations. After all, HIPAA as well as state privacy laws and ethical considerations can apply to online review sites. Strive to be professional, prompt - and private. ![]() When you respond, be mindful of how you do so. Make sure that you or someone on your staff consistently monitors the practice’s pages on major review sites so you’re aware of what’s been posted, good or bad, so you can decide whether (and if so, how) to respond. This approach can help market the practice and boost search engine rankings. Some dental practices encourage satisfied patients to submit online reviews. In fact, 84% of the public trust online reviews to help them make decisions.Ī survey by the ADA Health Policy Institute found that 88% of surveyed dentists reported receiving online patient reviews. Many prospective patients use online reviews as a way to evaluate potential healthcare providers - including dentists. ![]()
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