Online reviews of an alternative medical practice is a reliable way for potential patients to determine whether the practitioner is a good fit. Alternative medicine reviews are no different. Reviews are one of the main places patients go before finalizing a decision on an alternative medicine doctor so you need to make sure your reviews say good things.
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Unfortunately, most insurance companies don’t cover non-drug therapies. As a result, patients have to be careful about the type of alternative medicine practices they spend money on. That is why online reviews are important for the medical professionals who specialize in these practices. Here are other reasons why alternative medicine practitioners should pay attention to their online reviews:
Online Reviews Affect Choice
A study reveals that most patients read online reviews prior to selecting physicians.
This isn’t surprising. Patients want to know whether a medical practice can provide them with the best services. In the case of alternative therapies, they will want to know the same. A person might rely on alternative medicine reviews to find out how effective a practice’s Ayurvedic treatments are.
Positive reviews, about factors like the frequency of follow-ups and effectiveness of certain remedies, might encourage them to visit.
Positive Reviews mean Good Business
Alternative medicine reviews also make alternative therapy practices more visible on social media. Consider these stats from PWC:
- 42% of users looking for health information on social media view consumer reviews
- 29% of patients use social media to view experiences from other patients who suffer from similar diseases
- 32% of users post about medical experiences that friends and family have gone through on social media
If one of your patients leaves a positive review about a medical practice, the chances are that other people might see them too. This can drive business to your practice.
For example, consider a patient who leaves a glowing review about how a chiropractor cured his chronic backache. Users who see this review (and suffer from similar problems) will be encouraged to visit this chiropractor too.
Evaluating Quality of Care
Potential patients don’t only rely on online reviews for health information; they use them as a basis to evaluate the quality of care too. For instance, a review can be about the effectiveness of a certain alternative medicine prescribed by a homeopath.
Of course, reviews aren’t always positive. A patient can recount a terrible experience about how his acupuncturist treated incorrectly and left him with scars. Alternative medicine reviews like these can ruin the said acupuncturist’s chances of acquiring new patients or retaining current patients. According to a survey, 40% of consumers say they won’t try a local business after reading negative reviews about it.
Negative reviews, about apparent issues like medical negligence, can also lead people to take their business elsewhere.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure positive reviews is to view patients as consumers. Keep in mind, patients can and will try to find alternative medicine practices that appeal the most to them. To ensure that the reviews they leave online are positive, practitioners should strive to provide the best care.
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