NEW YORK, NY — (Marketwire) — 03/26/13 — As the foremost company in the online reputation management industry, all of the latest trends shaping the ORM scene — including the trend of more and more doctors availing themselves of social media sites, using Facebook and Twitter to insulate themselves from online defamation. The company points to a recent New York Times , which highlights this very trend. ReputationChanger.com has issued a new statement to the press, offering its own take on this important healthcare industry trend.
“Doctors have long been aware of the fact that their patients turn to Google and Bing to look up information about their ailments, and about the latest treatments and cures,” comments Reputation Changer President Michael Zammuto. “What is newer, at least for some physicians, is the trend of patients actually using the Internet to connect with their doctors, to learn about their doctors — and yes, to rate their doctors.”
Indeed, Zammuto says that sites allowing patients to rate and review their physicians are growing more pervasive — and more popular — with each passing day. For doctors, this is, at best, a mixed blessing. “Of course, a good review and a set of positive patient feedback is going to prove advantageous, but no doctor can count on uniformly positive reviews,” says Zammuto. “And, given how many patients are selecting their healthcare professionals based on these online review sites, it goes without saying that a glut of bad reviews could really wreck a physician-s practice.”
In order to insulate themselves against bad reviews and unwanted publicity, many physicians are turning to social media sites — including Facebook and Twitter — to develop positive, authoritative online reputations, The New York Times reports. Doctors can use these social media portals to interact with patients and also to share their insights and expertise, perhaps posting links to relevant and rewarding healthcare articles and other online resources. The article goes as far as to say that the biggest social media mistake a doctor can make is avoiding social media altogether — a sentiment with which Zammuto agrees.
“Doctors cannot do anything to totally prevent the appearance of bad reviews, but they can take important steps toward protecting themselves against it — most significantly, by building up a strong social media presence,” he notes. “By proactively cultivating a strong, positive online reputation, doctors can make sure that, should a bad review appear, the damage done is minimal.”
Zammuto says that there are other steps that doctors can take to defend themselves from bad reviews. “First and foremost, doctors should get into the habit of monitoring their online review portfolios,” he says. “Many doctors would prefer not to know what kind of feedback they are receiving, but this is not a case of ignorance being bliss. If you do not know what your online reputation is, you cannot address it or protect it appropriately.”
Zammuto also says that there is no reason why doctors should not solicit positive feedback from their patients. “Simply tell patients that their feedback matters, and tell them which review sites you are listed on,” he says. “Some doctors leave review cards at the front desk, which is another good approach. By proactively building up your catalog of positive reviews, you can affectively insulate yourself against the nasty ones.”
A leading name in the online reputation management field, the reputational needs of doctors, lawyers, financial planners, public officials, and even Fortune 500 companies.
ABOUT:
ReputationChanger.com was developed and launched in 2009, and since that time it has grown in stature and esteem. Praised by TopSEOs as the #1 company of its kind, Reputation Changer is heralded for its standard-setting practices and innovations in the field of online reputation monitoring and repair. ReputationChanger.com was founded by a seasoned team of direct response marketing professionals, and today, its team includes content marketing professionals, social media gurus, SEO experts, and account executives. ReputationChanger.com is led by President Michael Zammuto, and renders its services to private citizens and public officials, to Fortune 500 brands and to small companies.
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