A recent study conducted by RepuGen shows that 3 in 4 patients prefer healthcare providers with a minimum star rating of 4 or more.
RepuGen, a healthcare reputation management platform, has recently published a new 2021 research study on how the quality of review ratings and key characteristics of reviews play a crucial role in a patient’s decision-making process when choosing a doctor.
With 81% of patients using online reviews to select a healthcare provider, there are three vital aspects that go into their decision-making process: sentiments expressed through patients' feedback, average star ratings, and the total number of reviews.
The findings above are among several other results related from the survey conducted on 1790 patients aged 18+ across the United States. As part of the study, the respondents were asked a series of questions, including:
- How important are positive patient reviews and a strong average star rating while choosing a healthcare provider?
- What is the minimum star rating that a healthcare provider should have to be considered by you?
- How many review platforms do you visit before selecting a provider?
- What are the most trusted review sites?
- What are the 3 most important factors considered by patients while evaluating a provider?
The key findings of the study were as follows:
- More than 95% of the patient population consider online reviews to be an important aspect of their decision-making process, with 40% of them refusing to visit providers with poor reviews.
- 70% of patients aged 60+ and more than 75% of patients below 60 rely on positive patient reviews and a strong average star rating while selecting their healthcare provider.
- 75% of patients said they would consider a healthcare provider/ practice only if it had an average star rating of 4 stars or more.
- More than 69% patients visit 2 or more review platforms before selecting a provider.
- Google, WebMD, Healthgrades and Yelp are the 4 most trusted review sites.
- Online reviews and referrals from another medical professional or family/friends are the most important factors considered by patients in evaluating potential providers.
To learn more about the study findings, read the complete RepuGen Patient Review Survey 2021.