Patient Testimonials: How to Source Them and Use Them Appropriately

One of the oldest techniques to get new clients through the doors of your practice is by getting patient testimonials.

Right now if you think about Crest toothpaste, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? If you’re like me, you’re thinking about how “9 out of 10 dentists recommend it.” That’s been the Procter and Gamble-owned toothpaste’s slogan since I can remember. But it also happens to be a testimonial, which helps me prove their effectiveness.

But in reality, that testimonial is rather weak. I broke it down and a few questions came to mind...

• What are the names of these dentists?
• How recent were these recommendations given?
• Did P&G influence these dentists with money to encourage their recommendation?
• Were they new, experienced, working, or retired dentists?
• How did they find the 10 dentists?

These are all important questions that led me to question the legitimacy of their testimonials, making it hard for me to trust their brand of toothpaste.

Obviously, this break down of Crest’s testimonials is a little excessive, after all, it’s just toothpaste. But what if it were something more important? Maybe it’s time for me to switch my general practitioner or it’s more serious and I need a heart transplant. How do I decide who switch to or see as a patient?

Well, if I’m like most consumers I’ll read at least 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a business. That statistic alone is a reason why having patient testimonials should be one of your number one word of mouth marketing strategies.

So how do you source them, what should you do with them and make sure they’re HIPAA compliant?

How To Source Patient Testimonials

There hasn’t been an easier time to source testimonials for your practice. Outside of the more conventional ways like asking directly, there exists a thriving industry of review sites that millions of people visit often.

Some of the most popular review sites include…

• Yelp
• Google Reviews
• Facebook Reviews
• Houzz
• Angie’s List
• G2 Crowd
• Clutch

It’s possible that you might not think these review sites are any place for healthcare practices. If you’re thinking down that path, let try to convince you.

I visited the popular review website, Yelp, and conducted a quick search. I typed in “doctor” in the main search bar, entered our headquarters‘ location Stow, Ohio and hit enter. Yelp then instantly found 515 doctor’s offices near me with reviews. That proves people use this service when researching which doctor to visit.

The only caveat that comes with putting your practice on review boards is that people can leave negative reviews.

Although you should feel confident enough in your practice, understand that negative reviews will happen. Some patients will leave one-star reviews without any comment. Others may make negative comments that are completely irrelevant or entirely subjective.

But don’t let the chances of this happening rule out putting your practice out there on review boards. Before visiting your practice for their first-ever appointment, people do their research. In fact, 72% of patients use online reviews when finding a new doctor. To stay relevant, you simply can’t afford to leave yourself out of this opportunity.

Be confident in the services you offer and establish a response strategy to mitigate those grumpy reviews.

Where You Should Put Them

There are thousands of things you can do with your patient testimonials once you have them. But in short, put them everywhere.

Naturally, some testimonials will give more detail than others. For your best ones, I’ve detailed a process below that would take your strategy to the next level.

First, display them on your website…

• Place the best one on your home page
• Group others on a dedicated page

Second, turn the text into a visual image that could…

• Be shared across your social media accounts
• Get added to beginning or end of corporate slideshows
• Rotate through a tv screen in your lobby or waiting room

Third, “upgrade” the testimonial to a success story that…

• Gives more background about that patient’s journey at your practice
• Tells a relatable story
• Helps paint a picture of your experience

Fourth, record a video of the patient testimonial to…

• Bring life to the testimonial/success story
• Make your practice more personable
• Establish social proof

Obviously, you don’t have to do every step in the process but it could really help convince newcomers about the services your practice offers. It’s also a great way to turn your testimonials into fresh content once you have them.

HIPAA Risks with Patient Testimonials

Of course, as a healthcare entity, you need to always think about HIPAA with anything that you do. There are a few crucial warnings that come with patient testimonials. If you don’t head the advice below, you could face upwards of $25,000 in fines.

First, make sure that you’re not revealing any protected health information. When asking for a testimonial, make sure that they know what is and isn’t okay to share.

Second, if you’ve kept some letters or emails from patients that praise your practice you’re already ahead of the game. But you need to make sure that you have their permission to share it. Send them a quick email, give them a call, or create a patient testimonial release form and have them sign it. This is extremely important if you plan on using social media.

Third, you’ll want to decide how you want to share your patients’ names and/or if you want to include their pictures. How much privacy you’re willing to share is up to you and HIPAA. The more privacy you give, the more likely your clients will share a testimonial. But that also means the testimonials won’t look as authentic. If you’re a specialist, this part can get very tricky. If you want to play it safe, do the first two steps and redact names. The last thing you want on your hands is a HIPAA fine for sharing a success story.

Conclusion

Patient testimonials are a way of social proof. It helps give you some cred as a healthcare provider that not only are you qualified to do your job but also that you go above and beyond in the services that you offer.

The present-day consumer is vastly connected. At any moment they can review products, check prices, share purchases and experiences, look for discounts, and evaluate services. This power stretches beyond the commercial industry. Consumers also want to be able to do the same things within healthcare.

If you use them correctly, eventually you’ll be able to say “9 out of 10 people recommend going to this practice” and be able to prove it.