How to Respond to Negative Patient Reviews and Stay HIPAA Compliant

Online healthcare reviews play a critical role in how people choose providers: One 2020 survey of U.S.-based patients found that 90% of respondents used online reviews to evaluate physicians. Seventy-one percent used online reviews as their first step in selecting a doctor, while 66% said it was somewhat or very important to them that providers respond publicly to online reviews.

This shouldn’t be surprising: Much of what we purchase, from clothing to baby supplies to gym memberships, is based on recommendations or influenced by word of mouth. If a lot of people are talking positively about something, we’re more likely to want it. On the flip side, if people online are sharing similar concerns about how they were treated, the doctor’s bedside manner, or the type of patient care they received, we might be more wary of going that route.

This is why it’s all the more important to respond to patient reviews. When you respond to criticism with care and diligence, you actually build more trust and respect with customers and encourage them to return. Consider, too, how a negative review can enable you to thoughtfully reflect on your services and make changes that improve everyone’s interactions long term.

Responding to negative feedback is a complex matter — healthcare comes with a lot of restrictions and legal hurdles that other industries, like retail, often don’t have to navigate. We’ll guide you through the correct processes for remaining HIPAA compliant when addressing reviews, as well as offer examples for putting this advice into action.

Why Responding to Reviews Matters for Healthcare Providers

Patients respect businesses that listen to them, show proactiveness, and take their feedback to heart, even if that feedback doesn’t result in any significant changes to your practice.

Meanwhile, reviews that are negative and inaccurate require a response so that you can set the record straight and ensure your online reputation doesn’t take a hit. This is also crucial for maintaining your SEO ranking — when people search for your brand online, they should only encounter the most up-to-date and reliable information.

Finally, responding to reviews of all shapes and sizes helps you stay competitive. When other brands brush them off, yours will stand out as empathetic and progressive.

What Makes a Review Response HIPAA Compliant?

Patients have the right to share their experiences in as much detail as they’d like — but that doesn’t mean you do, too.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), healthcare providers are prohibited from publicly sharing any “identifiable health information” about patients, which can include:

• Medical history, such as current or past conditions or health risks
• Test results
• Services or treatments
• Payments or billing

Providers may share this information only with the patient or with individuals the patient has authorized to receive it. Failure to protect this information can lead to fines or even imprisonment.

A review response that’s HIPAA compliant avoids identifying (or trying to identify) the reviewer’s information or connection to the practice and speaks generically about its services. For example, if a reviewer complains about not receiving a certain medication, you can mention medical or office policy that might explain when that medication is and isn’t prescribed.

On the other hand, a non-compliant response might confirm the patient’s status in the practice and reference their case to explain why the doctor avoided treatment. This is a big no-no!

3 Rules for Responding to Reviews Without Violating HIPAA

When crafting a response to a less-than-positive review, take note of these rules:

1. Acknowledge Patient Concerns (Without Admitting Fault)

Admitting you made a mistake may lead to personally identifiable information being revealed, and it also puts you at legal risk (some states, however, have enacted “I’m sorry” laws to mitigate this risk for providers). So, rather than apologize for the action or service the reviewer mentions, you can say you’re sorry that the person had a bad experience.

For example, “We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We take all concerns seriously and are committed to providing the highest-quality care to our patients.”

This will make them feel heard and seen without giving away personal information or confirming their status as a patient.

2. Keep It Short and to the Point

When in doubt, it’s best to keep your response short. The more you try to explain, the more likely you’ll say something that violates HIPAA. Most importantly, do not mention that the reviewer is or was a patient, their name, or anything else about them.

Instead, point the person toward the right contact for discussing the issue further. This shows other potential patients that you have support and resources in place for properly addressing feedback and concerns.

Write something like: “Due to privacy regulations, we cannot address specific details in a public forum, but we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly to better understand your experience and work toward a resolution. Please feel free to contact our office at [phone number] or email us at [secure email address], and we’ll be happy to assist you.”

3. Get Your Facts Straight

Make sure you know the exact office policies and standard operating procedures before you respond so that your response isn’t questioned or disputed by reviewers. Leaning on an internal or external legal or medical expert can assist with this.

For example, if addressing a complaint about a late doctor, make sure you know what your facility shares publicly, whether via a website or email correspondence, about expected wait times.

How to Respond to Negative Patient Reviews Effectively

Just because you can’t get specific doesn’t mean you can’t make your response effective in rebuilding trust. Follow these tips for coming across as competent and turning a negative experience around:

Respond Promptly

The sooner you respond to a bad review, the better. No one wants their feedback to go unnoticed for months at a time.

That said, don’t reply on impulse — take the time to digest the review’s details, speak with any relevant parties, and make your response as concise and compliant as possible.

Speak Professionally

It goes without saying, but try to be respectful and formal in your review response — avoid slang, emojis, or overly casual language. People expect anyone associated with their medical team to act professionally in all areas, including on the internet.

Say Thanks for the Feedback

You can’t thank someone for visiting your office (that’s revealing private and protected information), but you can thank them for taking the time to submit feedback. After all, they may just want to improve others’ experiences or highlight an issue you weren’t privy to — that’s worth acknowledging and being grateful for!

For example: “Thank you for your review. We value all feedback as it helps us improve, and we hope to have the opportunity to restore your confidence in our practice.”

Monitor All Your Listings

There are a lot of sites out there that provide the option to leave healthcare reviews, from Google to WebMD to Yelp.

It’s not always easy to stay on top of them all, but it’s worth trying to stay on top of as many listings as you can across various platforms to ensure that wherever potential patients gravitate, your brand remains strong.

HIPAA-Compliant Review Response Examples

Let’s apply the above advice to common situations where a patient might leave a negative — or positive — review online with these helpful templates:

Response to a Negative Review About Wait Times

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We understand that wait times can be frustrating, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

Providing quality care to every patient sometimes requires extra time and attention, which can occasionally lead to delays. However, we are continually working to improve our scheduling and patient flow to minimize wait times and enhance the overall experience.

While we cannot discuss any specific details here due to privacy regulations, we’d appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly. Please feel free to contact our office at [phone number] or email us at [secure email address], and we’ll be glad to address your concerns further.

Your experience matters to us, and we hope to have the chance to better serve you in the future.

Response to a Billing Complaint

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We understand that billing matters can be confusing or frustrating, and we’re sorry to hear that we did not meet your expectations.

While we’re unable to discuss specific account details publicly due to patient privacy laws, we take all feedback seriously and are committed to resolving any billing issues promptly and fairly. We encourage you to contact our billing department directly at [phone number] or email us at [secure email address], so we can provide any clarification needed.

Your satisfaction and understanding are important to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

Response to Clinical Care Concerns

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Providing high-quality, compassionate care is our top priority, and we take concerns like yours very seriously.

Our office is committed to evidence-based medical practices, clear communication, and treating each patient with respect and attention. We regularly review our clinical protocols to ensure they meet current standards of care and support positive outcomes for our patients.

We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly to better understand your concerns. Please feel free to contact our office at [office phone number].

Response to a Positive Review

Thank you for your kind review! We’re truly grateful you took the time to share your experience.

We’re committed to delivering respectful, high-quality service and support, and your feedback encourages us to keep doing our best every day.

How to Train Staff on HIPAA-Compliant Online Engagement

Anyone on your team who plans to engage with customers online, either directly via review responses or indirectly through other healthcare marketing strategies, must be trained on how to engage while staying HIPAA compliant to avoid legal and financial repercussions.

These staffers might include:

• Social media managers
• Email marketers
• Copywriters
• Customer service representatives
• IT and operations, including front desk staff

Your training should cover the basics of HIPAA — what it is, why it exists, and what is defined as personally identifiable information — as well as any local or state laws that may supersede HIPAA, depending on your location and customer base.

Next, it should outline your organization’s own policies and standards around online engagement, such as your brand’s voice, topics that are and aren’t off limits, and processes for each platform (email versus social media versus review sites, for example).

Finally, cover who is responsible for what — for example, all Reddit responses must be run by a legal team member. Along with this, you might offer some real-world examples and templates of how to engage with certain comments, reviews, or discussions so employees have a firm grasp of the best approach and know how to handle unique or challenging cases.

Other topics to consider in your trainings could be:

• How to recognize and handle security risks and phishing attempts
• The consequences of HIPAA non-compliance
• Social media and review site best practices

Protect Privacy, Build Trust, and Grow Online with Chatmeter

It can be overwhelming to keep up with every positive and negative comment that comes your way, especially if you’re a small team or working with a limited budget. 

An online reputation management platform like Chatmeter can streamline this process. By consolidating reviews from multiple listing sites like WebMD and Vitals into one intuitive dashboard, Chatmeter makes monitoring for HIPAA compliance and filtering out violations simple. Chatmeter’s Pulse AI delivers customer intelligence crucial for winning various markets, while new healthcare risk categories in our Risk Monitoring tool allow you to get ahead of any potential patient crises.

Supercharging your online presence has never been easier. With Chatmeter, our clients have increased their Google ratings, improved their response rates, and upped the number of appointments scheduled online in just months.

Want to protect your brand and stay HIPAA compliant? Book a demo today and see how Chatmeter can help your healthcare organization manage reviews at scale with AI-powered tools and hands-on support.