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If you're trying to attract new patients to your growing practice, you may have wondered how people find and evaluate new providers these days. According to the Healthcare Consumer Insight & Digital Engagement survey from Binary Fountain, 51% of consumers use social media to search for providers — a staggering 621% increase from 2017. This jump aligns with a 200% increase in patients sharing their provider and hospital experiences on social media in 2018. You won't be surprised to find that Google, Instagram, and Facebook saw the biggest increases at 319%, 506%, and 170% respectively. |
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The survey also offers insights for providers looking to attract and retain new patients. To grow your practice, you should address the frustration of scheduling and waiting for appointments.
Other key findings in the survey include:
- 75% of respondents are influenced by online rating and review sites when selecting a provider
- 60% check the ratings and reviews of a provider, even when referred by another provider, up 44% since 2018
- Only 9% of respondents in 2019 selected they “do not use any websites or online platforms” when selecting a provider. By comparison, 48% of respondents selected this answer in 2017, representing an 80% increase in Americans using some form of online website or platform to choose a provider
- Of the respondents that used ratings and review sites when searching for a provider, 53% selected Google as a primary source, followed by a hospital and/or facility’s website (48%), Facebook (45%), Healthgrades (42%) and Instagram (28%)
- 27% of healthcare consumers list “wait times to see a provider” as their biggest pain point, while 20% list “scheduling an appointment."