Investigation of Radiation Oncologists’ Awareness of Online Reputation Management

Abstract

Background Online reputation management (ORM) is an emerging practice strategy that emphasizes the systematic and proactive monitoring of online reviews relating to one’s professional reputation. Objective We developed this survey project to assess whether radiation oncologists are aware of ORM and how it is utilized in their practices. We hypothesized that ORM is largely unknown by most practicing radiation oncologists and that little time is spent actively managing their reputations. Methods An online survey was submitted to 1222 radiation oncologists using the Qualtrics research platform. Physician emails were gathered from the American Society for Radiation Oncology member directory. A total of 85 physicians initiated the survey, whereas 76 physicians completed more than or equal to 94% (15/16) of the survey questions and were subsequently used in our analyses. The survey consisted of 15 questions querying practice demographics, patient satisfaction determination, ORM understanding, and activities to address ORM and 1 question for physicians to opt-in to a US $50 Amazon gift card raffle. The survey data were summarized using a frequency table, and data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results We calculated a 7% (85/1222) response rate for our survey, with a completion rate of 89% (76/85). A majority of respondents (97%, 74/76) endorsed being somewhat or strongly concerned about patient satisfaction ( P <.001). However, 58% (44/76) of respondents reported spending 0 hours per week reviewing or managing their online reputation and 39% (30/76) reported spending less than 1 hour per week ( P <.001). A majority of physicians (58%, 44/76) endorsed no familiarity with ORM ( P <.001) and 70% (53/76) did not actively manage their online reputation ( P <.001). Although 83% (63/76) of respondents strongly or somewhat believed that patients read online reviews ( P <.001), 57% (43/76) of respondents did not check their online reviews ( P =.25) and 80% (61/76) endorsed never responding to online reviews ( P <.001). Moreover, 58% (44/76) of the respondents strongly or somewhat supported the idea of managing their online reputation going forward ( P =.001). In addition, 11 out of the 28 pairs of questions asked in our correlation studies reached statistical significance. Degree of concern for patient satisfaction and the notion of managing one’s ORM going forward were the 2 most frequently correlated topics of statistical significance in our analyses. Conclusions ORM is presently under-recognized in radiation oncology. Although most practitioners are concerned about patient satisfaction, little effort is directed towa...

Online Ratings of Urologists: Comprehensive Analysis

“…Experience related to online reputation management suggests that a single negative review likely has a greater influence than multiple positive evaluations [19]. Despite this fact, a large percentage of physicians do not check their online profile [8,20]. Physician criticism of PRWs is understandable given previous studies demonstrating inconsistencies between patient ratings and quality of care [21-25].…”

“…Suggested approaches involve the use of collateral to solicit reviews, including patient cards, videos, and emails [9]. In addition, patients can be encouraged to complete online ratings and surveys at the time of encounter, thus offering a more proactive approach [8]. Finally, appropriately addressing negative comments or providing personalized review responses is suggested as a potential method of demonstrating physician focus on the patient experience to other potential patients visiting the PRW [27].…”

“…One such method includes using online professional networking websites (eg, Doximity) to publish professional accomplishments [28]. The creation of a personal online blog by physicians offers another technique to share information with patients [8]. Further, the use of social media pages (eg, Facebook) can be an effective method of managing online reputation.…”

“…Even so, investigation suggests that many physicians have little familiarity with PRW, do not commonly check their own reviews, and spend minimal time managing their digital reputation [8]. Although reputation management is a frequent focus in commerce and marketing literature, little is written about online reputation management of physicians.…”

Analysis of Online Urologist Ratings: Are Rating Differences Associated With Subspecialty?

“…Similarly, satisfaction with practice personnel correlates with higher physician ratings ( 7 ). As such, authors have suggested active steps that can be taken to optimize these interpersonal variables and manage online digital reputation, such as personalized emails and other online content ( 8 , 9 ).…”