REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — March 4, 2021 — Reputation, the global leader in reputation experience management, today released its 2021 Healthcare Reputation Report, which ranks the top 15 U.S. healthcare systems using Reputation’s proprietary Reputation Score and also takes a snapshot of overall patient sentiment based on their experiences with healthcare providers. After analyzing 348,000 customer reviews across 113,000 physicians and facilities, Reputation’s Data Science team found that healthcare facilities with strong Reputation Scores have 1,290% more conversions on their Google My Business (GMB) listings. This is significant because healthcare consumers are increasingly using Google to search for and access care.

These findings and others indicate the importance of having a reputation experience management (RXM) strategy in place to improve consumer experience, inspire trust among patients and optimize operations in a digital-first healthcare environment.

The report analyzed the 25 largest U.S. health systems by revenue and ranked the top 15 using Reputation’s proprietary Reputation Score. The highest-ranked health system, Universal Health Services, achieved a Reputation Score of 729; HCA Healthcare and Community Health Systems were ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with scores of 714 and 663. The 2021 report focused on acute-care facilities, given they have been at the epicenter of the pandemic and are at the forefront of a number of important changes transforming healthcare, including the rise in virtual care. This year’s data shows that the top-performing healthcare systems have accumulated an average of 232% more online, third-party reviews than those at the bottom of the list, highlighting the relationship between patient engagement and a strong Reputation Score.

Expressed on a scale of 0 to 1,000, Reputation’s proprietary Reputation Score measures patient sentiment, provider visibility and engagement across nine elements, from star average to review volume. It is calculated using artificial intelligence to take a snapshot of everything customers say about a provider online — solicited and unsolicited feedback — culled from patient ratings and reviews on sites such as Google as well as social content such as Facebook posts.

“At our UHS Acute Care Hospitals and Behavioral Health Facilities, our reputation as the preferred healthcare provider in our served markets is important to us,” said Celine Patterson, Lead, Online Reputation Management, Universal Health Services. “It is a key aspect of our mission statement – ‘to provide superior quality healthcare services that patients recommend to their family and friends.’ We have an unwavering focus on the consumer – making it easier for them to find us online and select us for their care. It’s an honor to know we are the reputation leader, but even more important than the recognition is our continued ability to use feedback to drive operational changes that improve patients’ lives.”

“Consumers use information they find online to make important healthcare decisions and we want that information to be meaningful, actionable, and to reflect the positive reputations of our hospitals and medical providers,” said Tomi Galin, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Community Health Systems. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done with the Reputation platform to gain insights from customer feedback, improve online visibility and help drive access to quality care.  It’s an honor to be recognized for that work and to be ranked as a leader in online reputation.”

Millennials: a massive demographic with the power to influence reputation

The report calls out a digital disconnect between healthcare providers and Millennials. As the largest living adult generation, Millennials are a significant force deciding the success or failure of healthcare systems and providers. They rely on online reviews and ratings to inform their healthcare provider decisions. Unfortunately, the report shows that 50% of healthcare facilities and 65% of physicians had zero online reviews last year, setting up many of these facilities and providers for an unfavorable reputation among Millennials.

However, according to the report, those facilities and providers that do improve their digital presence are better positioned to connect with the Millennial generation as well as the general population. In fact, facilities with strong Reputation Scores have 1,290% more conversions on their GMB listings than those with weaker scores; physicians with strong Reputation Scores have 540% more conversions.

Report measures patient sentiment during pandemic

Reputation also examined the most positive and negative drivers of patient sentiment during the pandemic. While pleasant bedside manner and facility cleanliness have always been important in healthcare, the pandemic has placed a premium on these attributes. Now, they’re the main drivers behind positive reviews and high star ratings, which are then reflected in stronger Reputation Scores. Conversely, the report found that wait times and poor care in emergency rooms contributed to negative sentiment, as expressed in reviews and reflected in lower star ratings.

Clearly, it’s now more important than ever for healthcare brands to have an RXM strategy in place to monitor reviews, respond to them and use feedback data to improve care.

“Innovation is a cornerstone of Banner’s mission and we’re fortunate to have Reputation as a partner as we shape the future of healthcare,” said Alexandra Morehouse, Chief Marketing Officer, Banner Health. “Ranking among the national reputation leaders is a testament to the work we are doing to improve the Digital Front Door for patients and earn loyalty in the communities we serve.”

The complete 2021 Healthcare Reputation Report can be found here.

About Reputation

Reputation, creator of the Reputation Experience Management category, is changing the way companies gather and act on customer feedback to drive decision making and enhance Customer Experience (CX) programs. Reputation’s interaction-to-action platform translates vast amounts of solicited and unsolicited feedback data into prescriptive insights that companies use to learn from and grow. Thousands of global organizations rely on the patented algorithms behind Reputation Score X™ to provide a reliable index of brand performance in order to make targeted business improvements. Backed by Ascension Ventures, Heritage Partners, Bessemer Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, and trusted by over 250 integration partners, including Google, Facebook, Salesforce, J.D. Power, Amazon and Web.com, Reputation turns feedback into the fuel to grow businesses around the world. Visit reputation.com to learn more.

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Media Contacts:
Shelby Valdez
Reputation
svaldez@reputation.com

Brigit Valencia
BOCA Communications
reputation@bocacommunications.com