How to Handle Bad Press about Your Medical Practice

 

Seeing bad press about your medical practice, whether about the physician(s) or simply about your specialty, can be frightening. But if you know how to respond to it, you can keep it from causing harm to your practice or even turn it into a positive experience. There are two types of bad press you may encounter about your medical practice: Direct and indirect. Direct bad press refers to actual negative reviews about the physician(s) and/or your practice, and indirect encompasses any unfavorable media that can affect your practice, such as "exposé" television shows or even credible medical studies.

With direct bad press, a quick response is key, but the need to respond quickly can create panic in the minds of many practice managers. Be careful not to respond with anger or anything that can be read – or misread – as sarcasm. Whether the individual sent you an email, posted on your Facebook Wall, or submitted a review to a website, keep your temper in check. Begin your response with concern, i.e. "We're sorry you feel that your needs weren't met during your office visit." If you need time to investigate the complaint, say so, i.e. "We're researching your concern now and will respond to you fully as soon as possible." Then be sure to do so – otherwise, other current and potential patients will note your lack of follow-through. Take care to observe HIPAA regulations; you may have to be content with "We've achieved resolution on this issue; please call our office at X for more information. Other patients who have questions can also call this number." Call the patient as well; you'll want to do your best to ensure they don't slip through the cracks and continue to feel badly towards your practice, as well as spread that negative impression among other patients. Conduct a mini-training to ensure that staff responds to questions about the complaint with concern and with the information your physician(s) deem appropriate.

Indirect bad press can be just as hard to handle as direct bad press. One example is a widely-reported potential side effect or complication of an often-utilized medication or treatment. Address the concern quickly and intelligently via social media and patient newsletters to minimize panic. This gives you time to formulate a well-researched response that you can send out and provide to patients in your office using notices in examining rooms and in check-in and check-out areas. In your secondary response, be sure to use facts and figures, where appropriate and available, to support your efforts. Many patients are savvy enough to understand that the media occasionally exploits inconclusive study results and other questionable facts in an effort to gain ratings and readership. Once you objectively and coherently point out the flaws in the report(s), they are likely to once again feel comfortable with the treatment your practice recommends.

When there's no bad press to deal with, you can bank goodwill towards your practice by creating your own good press. Besides managing patients well in your day-to-day efforts and ensuring that your staff does the same, you should post positive press about your practice on the practice's blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, and anywhere else that's available and appropriate. This way bad press won't be the only information about your practice that is easily obtainable if and when it occurs. Patients are also less likely to believe bad press when it conflicts with positive information they've already received. Brand your practice as conscientious, responsible, and concerned with the health of your patients first and foremost, and you'll be handling bad press, whether direct or indirect, before it even starts.

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About the Author

Practice Manager Network is an online community of healthcare practice managers who have come together for purposes of sharing ideas, learning how to balance home and work life, and getting advice from experts on managing their personal and professional lives more effectively. To find out more please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com or call 877-315-3338 and a representative will be happy to assist you.