Texting for patient reviews and ratings
Online ratings and reviews increasingly drive consumer decisions.
Ratings also influence how your existing patients and peers perceive you. They are often the first impression that someone has of you and your practice.
Providing great care and service is important. But most patients will not leave you positive feedback unless directly asked.
Email surveys are seldom completed. As already mentioned, calls often go unanswered and are time consuming.
Asking patients for reviews in-person is effective. But, it is difficult to remember to consistently ask for feedback when you are focused on other things. It can also be awkward if not done carefully. In some cases, it goes against professional ethics standards (i.e. for therapists).
For many busy practices, it is easier to send a text message survey to patients at the end of the day.
You will not need to worry about forgetting to ask for feedback, rejection, or seeming inauthentic. Plus, if the text message includes the review link (or preferably, feedback form), it’s easier for your patients to take that next step.
Getting patient feedback with text messaging
To begin, first register with a text messaging platform that will execute a BAA with you (step 1 in HIPAA compliance).
Second, ensure that all new and existing patients sign a text message communication consent. Download our template text message consent form here.
Third, build an online feedback form that will drive traffic to your website and allow you to collect reviews across multiple platforms (Facebook, Google, Healthgrades, Yelp). We develop these forms for our clients. Click here to discuss ratings with us if you need help.
Fourth, draft a text message template for asking for patient reviews. You should keep the message under 160 characters.
Here are a few examples:
- [Name], thanks for coming in today for your appointment. Would you kindly spend one minute rating your experience at [URL]? Appreciate it!
- [ABC Medical Care]: [Name], we hope your experience was positive today. Would you help us by spending a minute rating it at [URL]? Thank you!
- [Name], thanks for visiting us today. Reviews help us and help people find the best care. Mind leaving us one by clicking here [URL]?
Fifth, do not offer incentives directly to patients in exchange for reviews. The Telephone Consumer Protection Agency (TCPA) prohibits these. Instead, incentivize your staff to capture patient reviews. Or, ask for reviews through different channels.
Finally, implement a process and reminder so that you or your staff sends the text message to everyone who had an appointment that day.
