A new survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults who have a physician found 51 percent share their personal healthcare experiences via online ratings, review sites and social media.
Called the “Healthcare Consumer Insight & Digital Engagement” survey, the study was conducted by OnePoll from July 11-13, 2018 and commissioned by Binary Fountain, an online reputation management platform.
Diving a bit deeper, the survey found 70 percent of all millennials and 68 percent of “young millennials” (those between the ages of 18 and 24) have shared their healthcare experiences online.
As far as specific ways of sharing information, Facebook took the spot as the most used channel for people ages 25-54 to discuss their experiences. Meanwhile, those aged 18-24 indicated Google was their preferred online platform for sharing.
It’s not just the fact that people are apt to talk about their healthcare encounters. Consumers are also making use of the internet and patient reviews to learn about whether a specific healthcare practitioner is worth a visit.
Ninety-five percent of respondents said they find online ratings and reviews “somewhat” to “very” reliable. Additionally, 70 percent indicated online reviews have influenced their decision when picking out a doctor. On top of that, 41 percent said they still check a doctor’s ratings even when he or she is referred by another physician.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Among survey participants who used the internet to choose a physician, the most common source was a hospital or clinic’s website, with 34 percent of individuals saying they used it. Other top sources included Google (29 percent), WebMD (18 percent), Healthgrades (15 percent) and Facebook (12 percent).
“The survey results underscore the significance of online ratings and reviews as online reputation management for physicians becomes ever more important in today’s healthcare consumer environment,” Aaron Clifford, Binary Fountain’s senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “As patients are becoming more vocal about their healthcare experiences, healthcare organizations need to play a more active role in compiling, reviewing and responding to patient feedback if they want to compete in today’s marketplace.”
The findings of the Binary Fountain poll are reminiscent of a survey from Doctor.com, a physician practice management startup. In 2018, the company surveyed 1,718 U.S. adults aged 18 to 65+ and found 80 percent of respondents have used the internet to make a healthcare-related search in the past year. Plus, 81 percent said they’ll read reviews about a referred provider occasionally, frequently or always. Sixty percent of respondents said they wouldn’t set up an appointment with a provider who had poor quality reviews.
Photo: andresr, Getty Images
