How doctors can manage negative content online

Negative content published about physicians and other health professionals can detrimentally affect their online reputations and the success of their practices. Defamatory online content can take the form of reviews on websites such as www.RateMDs.com and www.HealthGrades.com or as misleading newspaper articles that paint a physician in an incorrect or unflattering light.

Doctors seeking to control their reputations online have turned to a wide range of tactics. Some approaches can help their practice reach new levels of success; others can backfire, causing significant digital PR headaches. Tactics that work for patient reviews are different from those used to combat incorrect information that’s published by media organizations. That said, by developing a comprehensive internet reputation management, or online reputation management (ORM) strategy, physicians can deal with virtually any type of negative content.

Tip 1: Focus on the positive, and share factual information.

When it comes to consumer-generated content, some doctors have tried to patch up their Internet reputations by asking patients to sign will-not-review agreements. This approach is prone to failure. First, legal precedent makes it unlikely that such agreements would hold up in court. Second, doctor’s risk alienating long-term patients and encouraging spite-based online reputation attacks. The website www.RateMDs.com even maintains a “Wall of Shame” for physicians who try to prevent patients from posting reviews.

A better approach is to keep tabs on the kinds of criticisms being leveled against your Internet reputation and to post factual information to counter these critiques. Many review websites allow physicians to display professional profiles, which can be used to defuse potential attacks and to control your reputation. Doctor-patient confidentiality prevents you from directly engaging online critics; however, you can address common themes in a general manner. For instance, patient comments like “The doctor seemed rushed” can be downplayed with a statement such as “We are one of the few specialty practices in this area, and we pride ourselves on serving as many patients as possible.” A creative, positive response exists for virtually any criticism. And when you do find content that addresses a genuine shortcoming, use it as an opportunity to improve your practice.

When it comes to media organizations, don’t even think of trying to threaten them; you’ll just generate more negative content. Your best bet is to provide clear, factual evidence that they have unjustly tarnished your professional online reputation. Contact the organization to identify the editor responsible for the piece. Prepare a concise description of the facts for that individual, and politely request that the article be retracted or corrected. Persistence is key: Continue with periodic, polite requests until you get a response. For more information on how to contact newspapers about incorrect or negative content, see this article.

Tip 2: Garner support from your patients.

Regardless of the source of your negative content, this tip involves getting your patients behind you. Enough positive patient reviews will outweigh a few negative ones, and they can also help mitigate misleading newspaper articles.

Patients mention a doctor’s bedside manner in online forums more than any other factor, so you can do a lot to inspire would-be positive reviewers by making patients feel valued. Work on developing conversational strategies that instill trust without significantly lengthening patient visits. If you need to rush to get through a busy day, explain why. Also give the patient some avenue for seeking further information or asking questions, whether that takes the form of a nurse or physician’s assistant who can tackle their concerns or your promise to respond later via email.

Next, encourage patients to write good reviews. Directly asking for praise might turn off some patients, but there are a lot of ways to gently foster positive feedback. You might consider some of the following:

• Quote a few positive reviews, listing the source, on your patient intake forms or information brochures.
• Post a sign in your waiting area saying that you value patient feedback, whether in person, by phone or email or via online forums.
• Link to positive content on your practice’s website.
• Send follow-up emails encouraging patients to provide feedback.

You can also find additional tips in the following articles: How To Protect Your Medical Practice from Negative Reviews Online and Online Reputation Management Tips for Doctors.

Tip 3: Engage an online reputation management (ORM) service.

If you find yourself in the midst of a negative media storm, the self-help approaches above may not be sufficient to resolve your negative content. Even if the newspaper agrees to correct the article, someone may have reposted the earlier, defamatory version on his or her blog. In this case, you’ll need to enlist professional help.

First, it makes sense to employ a monitoring service that will alert you to any new developments in your Internet reputation. You want to know if someone reposts negative content and also if new, derivative attacks appear in response.

Next, you’ll need to create a large body of positive content to outweigh the negative.

Using these tools, even defamatory articles in major newspapers can be made to fade into the distance.

Clement Lefebvre is a seasoned writer with expertise in online reputation management and Internet privacy. He is also an experienced academic and scientific editor.