For physicians and medical professionals, customer service now trumps medical expertise, according to analysis of one thousand recent doctor reviews from Vitals, an organization that helps connect consumers with healthcare practitioners.

In a Vitals press release about the analysis conducted, it explains the importance of a good first impression for medical and healthcare practitioners. While training and medical knowledge are essential for practicing medicine,  the study of recent doctor reviews by patients has shown that less technical skills can also be valued highly. The words “office,” “staff” and “waits” were commonly used when describing experiences and doctors’ interpersonal skills were also commonly discussed.

Mitch Rothschild, CEO of Vitals, believes customer service is an increasingly important factor with doctor-patient relationships. The Journal of the American Medical Society reports that twenty-five percent of American adults view online doctor-patient review sites, and over one-third chose or avoided a doctor based on ratings.

Though some medical practitioners remain skeptical of what is being called the ‘Yelpification’ of healthcare, Rothschild attributes the popularity of these online medical and physician reviews to the fact that they are recommendations that are easy to understand for patients.

Do you think online reviews of medical professionals are helping or hurting the healthcare industry? As a healthcare professional, do you modify your “interpersonal” behavior and interactions with patients based on online reviews? Let us know by posting a comment below.

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