6 Strategies to Skyrocket Your Patient Reviews + Free Request Templates

Online reviews are the #1 thing patients consider when seeking a new doctor. 90% of patients use online reviews to evaluate physicians and 80% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. The influence of online reviews cannot be overstated.

That’s why Dr. Len Tau, also known as The Reviews Doctor, strongly recommends practices to “stop your marketing spend until you have a steady flow of patient reviews because you're wasting your money.” Without strong online social proof, any new patients attracted through marketing efforts may ultimately be lost.

Getting more patient reviews can be a struggle. Manually requesting reviews eats into the valuable time of already busy staff who juggle patient care and administrative duties. Also, asking for reviews in person can be awkward for both staff and patients alike.

As a patient experience platform that has empowered practices to collect over 1.1 million reviews in the past year alone, NexHealth compiled 6 actionable strategies to help you get more patient reviews, explore top review platforms, and show you template examples for requesting patient reviews.

6 Strategies to Get More Patient Reviews

1. Automate your review collection process

Dr. Len Tau recommends leveraging software to streamline the review collection process. Automating the review collection process lightens the workload for the team, takes the awkwardness of asking for positive feedback, and also guarantees a healthy stream of reviews.

When choosing software, look for features that allow for customized review requests to patients and ensure the tool can direct positive reviews to online platforms such as Google.

Walnut Creek Dental Studio Gains 125+ Google Reviews

When Dr. Sara Davidson took over Walnut Creek Dental Studio from a retiring dentist, the practice had 0 online presence or reviews, relying solely on word-of-mouth referrals. Recognizing the need to start building an online presence, Dr. Davidson turned to NexHealth.

By implementing NexHealth’s automated review requests after each appointment, patients were encouraged to leave reviews that were directly linked to Google, boosting SEO results and elevating their webpage rank.

In just a few months, Walnut Creek Dental Studio went from 0 to 125+ Google reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 stars. They also tripled in website traffic because Google reviews helped drive SEO to the website.

2. Don’t wait to ask for reviews

Timing is everything when it comes to requesting patient reviews. Asking for feedback immediately after their visit ensures the experience is fresh in their minds, increasing the likelihood of a response. This timing also allows you to capture any immediate feedback or concerns that patients may have. According to Reputation.com, review responses see an 8 to 10 percent increase midweek and a 5 percent bump in the morning versus the afternoon.

3. Develop a process and train your staff to request reviews

It all starts with you and your team, so it's vital to assess areas where your practice can improve staff and patient interactions. Given the critical role of front-desk staff as the initial point of contact, it's crucial to schedule regular meetings—whether weekly or at least monthly—to review recent patient feedback and ensure consistency in managing review requests and responses.

Although providing incentives to patients for reviews may conflict with platform policies like Google's, you can still inspire your staff by gamifying the review collection process. Encourage team members to ask patients to share their experiences and offer your staff incentives such as gift cards as rewards for their participation.

4. Make it easy for patients to leave reviews

Patients prefer spending minimal effort when writing a review, so it's crucial to make the process as easy as possible. Consider including clear instructions and direct links to review platforms in your email or text requests for reviews. Avoid making patients search for a link and ensure they can conveniently leave their feedback using their smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

5. Use social media platforms to engage with patients

Maintaining a robust social presence is essential for cultivating trust with your audience. In addition to face-to-face interactions, platforms like Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer valuable insights into your customers' feedback. These platforms not only serve as channels to showcase reviews but also provide opportunities to connect with patients and request reviews directly.

6. Respond promptly to all reviews to show that patient feedback is valued.

By addressing reviews in a timely manner, it shows that you are actively listening and responsive to patient concerns and praises.  Establishing clear protocols and assigning dedicated team members to monitor and address reviews ensures a consistent and effective approach. Ideally, you should respond within 24 to 48 hours of the review being posted.

Templates to Request Reviews

Having a template helps standardize the process of collecting feedback. Here are some ready-to-use templates.

• Email template:

  Subject: Quick Favor – Can We Get Your Feedback?

  Hi [Patient's Name],

  Thank you for choosing our practice for your recent visit. Could you take a moment to share your experience with us? Your feedback helps us improve.

  All you need to do is click this link and leave your honest feedback: [Review Platform Link]

  We appreciate your time and support.

  Best,

  [Your Name]

  [Your Practice Name]

• SMS template:

  Hi [Patient's Name]! We hope you're doing great! Can you spare a moment to share your experience with us? Your feedback helps us improve. Leave your review here: [Review Platform Link]. Thanks! [Your Practice Name]

Choosing the Right Review Platforms

When considering which review platforms to prioritize,  Brian Leffler, the founder and owner of Modern Practice, emphasizes that having a presence on Google is essential. Stressing the importance of Google reviews for dental practices, Brian Leffler highlights that people commonly turn to Google searches to discover services, making these reviews essential.

Brian Leffler also suggests that you need a reliable tool that actively encourages more reviews on your profile and ensures you promptly respond to them, signaling engagement to Google. Additionally, maximizing services on your Google Business Profile is beneficial. With a tool like NexHealth that integrates with Reserve with Google, patients can directly book appointments after finding you on Google.

Conclusion

Having an exceptional patient experience is the key to getting positive reviews. That's why tens of thousands of practices trust NexHealth to provide online scheduling, digital forms, and personalized communications, offering patients an elevated experience while giving staff more time to enhance overall patient satisfaction.

Book a personalized consultation to learn how practices like Allen Dental Group can gain over 130 five-star online reviews with NexHealth: https://www.nexhealth.com/get-a-demo