Building and maintaining your digital reputation starts with a steady stream of high quality ratings from authentic patients. A recent survey found that 62% of GenZ patients wouldn't even consider a healthcare provider that had few or no ratings. It's also clear that merely having ratings isn't enough. The same study showed that respondents heavily valued the recency of those ratings (43%) and average star rating (38%). With millions of North Americans visiting RateMDs every month, there's no better place to start building your online reputation.

"So how do I collect more ratings on RateMDs?" you say. Here's our guide to get you started.

Providers and their staff should consult their regulatory body before using ratings in any type of marketing. 

Just ask

Politely asking is the most efficient and effective way to collect a patient's feedback. One study shows that patients are 2.3x more likely to submit a rating when asked and another one found that 7 in 10 patients will leave a review if asked While it might feel awkward, reviews are a huge part of how we improve our businesses and how consumers make decisions - healthcare is no different.

Timing and tone are important so train your front-desk staff to close conversations with a rating request once the important aspects of the conversation have been closed off (ie. billing, follow-up scheduling, insurance claims, etc). Coach staff to politely draw patients' attention to rating request signage or prepare them for the email or SMS rating request that will follow their appointment.  

Use your secure patient communication systems

The same systems you use for scheduling and communicating appointment reminders can be used to request ratings. Many of these systems allow you to build segmented emails or SMS campaigns for specific rating request communications. Research your system's capabilities and consider adding your RateMDs profile (clinic or provider page) as a destination for ratings. 

Consider combining subtle tactics like adding your RateMDs Rating Request Link in email footers and more direct tactics like rating request campaigns. Every piece of mail, email or SMS, is an opportunity to add ratings to your RateMDs profile.

Practice management softwares allow you to send a rating request after a patient's first visit or after a defined number of visits. Test different cadences based on the frequency of your patients' visits to find the right mix for your clinic.

Printouts, posters and physical promotion 

Every clinic uses a different mix of signage and printed materials to direct their patients. You can incorporate your RateMDs profile into these materials by using your profile's QR code or trying our templated signs from our Rating Request Tools.

Consider adding the QR code to your in-clinic signage or patient-facing communications such as:

• Business cards

• Appointment reminder cards

• Take-home patient instruction printouts

• Office posters or decals

• Front desk printouts or signages

The key to effective physical promotion methods is a well-educated provider and clinic staff. Remember, patients are more than 2.3 times more likely to submit a rating when asked, so make sure you and your staff are educated on the importance of online ratings, how to ask for them, and when to do so. 

Some prompts that are simple and effective can be:

• "How was your visit?"
  
• "How did we do today?"
• "How was your experience?"
• "Anything we can improve?"

Did the patients express they had a positive experience? Encourage them to scan the QR code and leave a rating. Did the patients have reservations about their experiences? Listen and acknowledge their point of view, and take the feedback as opportunities for future improvements.

Avoid using QR codes in outbound marketing or signage that is available to non-patients to maintain rating authenticity. 

Use social media to promote your online presence

Do you have your own website or social media accounts such as Facebook or Instagram? In this era of the digital world, these are quick and easy ways to promote your online presence. Try to embed your RateMDs profile link in your social media pages to allow quick and easy patient access.

Let patients know their ratings matter

Make your patients feel they are valued and appreciated! Monitor your ratings regularly and respond promptly using our Provider Response feature to express your gratitude, and thank your patients for taking the time to share their experiences. It is also important to accept negative feedback with grace and approach them as opportunities to improve patient experiences in the future. Keep in mind of protected health information (PHI) and do not share these details. Additional examples of PHI can be found here.

Negative ratings happen. Ensure your clinic is notified and can respond before they're published with Rating Concierge.

How NOT to get more ratings

While it is important to encourage patient ratings, there are things you should watch out for. You should never pressure or incentivize pay for patient ratings as this can damage your reputation and may even be illegal. Authentic and honest ratings from your patients are most valuable.