Responding to Google Review

Protecting Your Reputation While Remaining HIPAA Compliant

As any marketing consultant will tell you, it is vital to maintain the highest possible Google Rating for your practice. As a result of the power of the Google Rating, a new online purchased review industry has sprung up in the past 10 years and there are a multitude of reputation building apps specifically designed for dentist to help create and maintain a high Google rating. The steps you should take to build your Google rating is a great discussion to have with your marketing consultant.

As a CPA concerned with compliance and keeping clients out of hot water, this blog post is more concerned with the way you should respond to Google reviews and maintain HIPAA compliance. Here is a brief summary of a great ADA article that includes steps and sample responses.

How should I monitor my online reputation?

You or a trusted team member should periodically monitor your online reputation. Start by Googling your name and/or your practice’s name. Use incognito mode so you can see what potential patients see.

How does HIPAA apply to online reviews?

Dental 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. But fines might also apply if your response merely confirms that a patient was indeed at your practice. Just because a patient identifies themself in a review, they have NOT waived their right to privacy!

How should I respond to positive reviews?

It’s wise to acknowledge your online reviews as it shows you are paying attention to your reputation; however, you cannot respond in such a way that confirms that the person is a patient — even if they post using their real name. It’s best to simply say, “Thank you!” Even something like, “Thank you for coming in,” or “We appreciate our patients” violates HIPAA.

How should I respond to negative reviews?

People do post negative, and sometimes even untrue, reviews online. While posters can say almost anything, you as the practice owner should be mindful of how you respond. Take a deep breath, draft a response, set the response aside for 12 hours, edit the response with a caring and empathetic mindset and then post a response without ever acknowledging that the poster was a patient. It might look something like this:

“Our office strives to provide the best service to all patients and we do our best to meet this goal. We encourage any patient who would like to discuss their experience to contact us directly.”

Can I get bad reviews removed?

Review sites generally have terms of use that prohibit using racial or religious slurs or expletives, stalking, defamation, spam, etc. If a review includes these elements, report it to the site and they may work with you to get it removed. However, most review sites have a broad interpretation of “opinion” and will not remove reviews for things that cannot be definitively proved.

What about fake reviews?

Unfortunately, fake reviews are currently inevitable, as social media sites do not require posters to confirm their identities and an unethical competitor can actually purchase fake reviews of your practice. This article from ChatMeter covers the process for having fake Google reviews removed and the ADA article above has links to report the fake reviews on other social media platforms.

With 84% of the public reporting that they trust online reviews and most new patients Googling you before their first phone call, it is important to maintain your Google Rating in a kind, professional and compliant manner. To do so, keep these guidelines in mind:

Keep it simple, keep it anonymous - Don’t acknowledge that a reviewer was a patient. This is true for positive reviews, too!

Never reference a specific person or incident - Make certain that any response offers no hint as to the identity of the poster; always protect the patient’s privacy.

Take complaints offline - If you get a negative review, you can respond in generalities, such as “Our office strives to ensure a great patient experience. We encourage any patient who would like to discuss their experience to contact us directly”. This indicates to anyone who sees the review that you actively work to correct problems while protecting patient privacy. You can also use responses to negative comments to state your office policies, such as mentioning parking options, making appointments online or your goal to return all calls within 24 hours.

Remain professional, prompt and private - Check your online reviews periodically and address any complaints quickly. Don’t let emotion or frustration cloud your words — remember, future patients may read these reviews (and responses) before choosing your practice. Avoid coming across as defensive, confrontational or accusative. Instead, make sure that responses present you as the caring, concerned and compassionate healthcare provider that you are.

While every practice is different, HIPAA applies to all practices.

If you have specific questions on compliance or would like to know more creating a well reviewed and profitable practice , please schedule a consultation with JNG Advisors today to find out about how we can help you build that practice.