Protecting your practice’s reputation in the age of social media.
In today’s digital world, a patient’s first impression of your medical practice may not come from your website or a phone call—it might come from a TikTok video, a Yelp review, or a Google star rating. Whether it’s a glowing recommendation or a critical comment, online content can shape public perception and impact patient volume more than ever before.
As a medical office manager, you’re not just overseeing staff and schedules—you’re also the front line of brand protection. Here’s what you should—and shouldn’t—do when managing your practice’s online reputation.
DO: Regularly Monitor Your Online Presence
Why it matters:
Patients search before they schedule. Studies show that a majority of people look at online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider—and many won’t consider practices with fewer than four stars.
How to do it well:
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Set up Google Alerts for your practice name and provider names.
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Check platforms like Yelp, Google Reviews, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, and Facebook weekly.
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Assign someone (or yourself) to track this regularly and report anything urgent.
DON’T: Respond Emotionally (or Violently Break HIPAA)
Why it matters:
It’s tempting to defend your team against an unfair review—but a defensive or angry reply can damage your reputation even more.
Avoid at all costs:
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Never confirm someone is a patient in your response (even if they said it first).
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Don’t share any medical details.
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Don’t argue, blame, or post screenshots of records or internal notes.
Instead, try:
“Thank you for your feedback. We take patient concerns seriously and invite you to contact our office directly so we can address this matter privately.”
DO: Encourage Satisfied Patients to Leave Reviews
Why it matters:
Happy patients often stay silent. If you don’t ask, your reviews may only reflect complaints—not the full story.
How to do it ethically:
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Use a follow-up email or text after visits with a polite ask: “If you had a good experience, we’d appreciate a quick review!”
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Include links to your review profiles (Google, Yelp, etc.).
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Don’t offer incentives—that’s unethical and may violate platform policies.
DON’T: Post Fake Reviews or Pay for Them
Why it matters:
Some companies offer to “fix” your online reputation with fake reviews. That’s risky and unethical—and can get your listings removed or flagged.
Better idea:
Focus on the long game. A steady stream of authentic, positive reviews builds credibility over time.
DO: Use Negative Feedback as a Learning Tool
Why it matters:
A bad review can sting—but it’s often a window into real patient frustrations.
How to leverage it:
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Look for patterns. Do multiple people mention long wait times, rude staff, or billing confusion?
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Use this feedback in team huddles or training sessions.
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Fix root causes, not just the symptoms.
DON’T: Try to Silence or Threaten Reviewers
Why it matters:
Threatening patients with legal action for a bad review can backfire and draw more attention to the criticism.
Instead:
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Maintain professionalism.
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Let a lawyer weigh in only if a post contains defamatory or completely false claims—not just bad opinions.
DO: Claim and Optimize Your Profiles
Why it matters:
If you don’t manage your listings, someone else—or no one—will.
How to do it:
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Claim your Google Business Profile, Yelp page, Healthgrades listing, etc.
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Update office hours, contact info, services offered, and photos.
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Make it easy for patients to find accurate info wherever they look.
What About TikTok?
More and more healthcare content is showing up on TikTok and Instagram—sometimes from your own patients or staff. This can help or hurt your brand.
Smart policies:
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Have a clear social media policy for staff: what’s allowed, what’s not.
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Never post anything patient-related without explicit written consent.
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If patients post about your office, don’t engage unless it’s positive and public.
Final Thought: Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Online reviews and social content aren’t going away. Rather than fear them, use them as tools to understand how patients perceive your practice—and to build a stronger, more responsive team culture.
Your reputation isn’t just your star rating—it’s how you handle feedback.