Page 20 - 2021 Risk Reduction Series - Communication Part Two

SVMIC Risk Reduction Series: Communication

discussion offline and out of the public domain. Plus, the

practice or provider receives the benefit of demonstrating the
willingness to work and engage in a positive way with patients.

Another suitable option would be to ask some of your loyal

patients if they would be willing to post positive reviews
about their experiences to offset the negative remark. Internet

searches normally pull up the most relevant and recent
information relating to the search request. The goal would be to

outnumber the negative review with multiple positive reviews.

If these attempts are not successful, and the patient continues

to post negative online comments, the practice should contact
a professional reputation management service. Most larger

cities have such services, and it is their job to repair clients’
reputations that have been damaged online. As a last option, the

practice or provider should consult legal counsel to determine if
there are any legal options available to deal with the problem. In

most cases, online speech is protected by the First Amendment,
but the negative comments may have crossed the permissible

line and may constitute an exception such as defamation.

Portals

Patient portals, in conjunction with EHRs, have taken medicine
into the virtual world. As the healthcare industry shifts its focus

toward patient-centered care, providers must understand
patient portals and how to use them for patient engagement.

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients
convenient, 24-hour access to personal health information from

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