How to handle negative online reviews
Consider legal repercussions. Stay up-to-date with online reviews about you by conducting internet searches once every 3 months.1 Consider notifying your malpractice carrier or facility’s legal department if a review suggests a patient or family might initiate legal action against you or the facility.1 You might consider pursuing legal action if an online review is defamatory, but such claims often are difficult to prove in court.1 Even if you win, such a case could later be repeatedly mentioned in articles and journals, thus creating a permanent record of the negative review in the literature.1
Enlist help with your online image. If financially feasible, hire a professional service to help improve your online image or assist in responding to negative reviews.1 Build your profile on review web sites to help frame your online image, and include information that mentions the pertinent steps you are taking to address any legitimate concerns your patients raise in their reviews. Encourage your patients to post reviews because that could produce a more equitable sample and paint a more accurate picture of your practice.
Lobby professional medical organizations to take action to protect psychiatrists from negative online reviews by creating legislation that holds web sites accountable for their content.1
Stay positive. Unfounded or not, negative online reviews are an inevitable part of a psychiatrist’s professional life.2 One negative review (or even several) is not going to destroy your reputation or career. Do not feel alone if you receive a negative review. Seek advice from colleagues who have received negative reviews; in addition to offering advice, they can also provide a listening ear.2
