Most docs monitor online reviews about themselves

(HealthDay)—Most health care providers monitor online reviews about themselves and find the reviews fair, according to the results of a survey published by ZocDoc.

Researchers surveyed 360 ZocDoc health care providers to explore the use of online reviews, practice management technology, and social media.

According to the report, physicians are aware that online reviews impact patients' decisions when choosing their health care provider. The majority of respondents (85 percent) reported proactively monitoring online reviews about themselves, while 36 percent reported viewing their competitors' reviews. When ranking online reviews, 23 percent ranked them as very fair, 62 percent as fair, and 15 percent as not fair. Additional findings from the survey show that heath care providers have embraced technology, with almost 75 percent of physicians having implemented a practice management system in their office. Furthermore, 53 percent of physicians have a Facebook account for their practice; 34 percent reported using Google+; 28 percent use LinkedIn; and 21 percent use Twitter. Thirty percent reported having no social presence.

"Patients are eager to access the health care system in the same way they engage with their favorite consumer brands, research hotels, or even book restaurants and flights, and it's important for any physician practicing in today's day and age to embrace this shift," Keri Peterson, M.D., an internal medicine specialist and ZocDoc client, said in a statement.

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