The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently cracked down on deceptive marketing practices by banning fake reviews. This new regulation has implications for healthcare and service-based industries, where trust is the cornerstone of patient relationships. The ban underscores a growing trend: consumers are demanding transparency and authenticity, especially when it comes to their health. For medical practices, this means that having a strategy to get more patient reviews is now more valuable than ever.
Understanding the FTC Ban on Fake Reviews
In response to a surge in misleading online reviews, the FTC has implemented regulations aimed at eliminating fake or deceptive feedback. These new rules are designed to hold businesses accountable for manipulating their online reputations. Penalties for non-compliance are severe, including hefty fines and potential legal action. The goal is clear: to protect consumers from being misled by false claims. This is particularly crucial in the healthcare industry, where misinformation can have potentially detrimental consequences on patients’ health and well-being.
The final rule prohibits the following:
- Fake or False Consumer Reviews, Consumer Testimonials, and Celebrity Testimonials:
The final rule addresses reviews and testimonials that misrepresent that they are by someone who does not exist, such as AI-generated fake reviews, or who did not have actual experience with the business or its products or services, or that misrepresent the experience of the person giving it. - Buying Positive or Negative Reviews
The final rule prohibits businesses from providing compensation or other incentives conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews. - Insider Reviews and Consumer Testimonials:
The final rule prohibits certain reviews and testimonials written by company insiders that fail to clearly and conspicuously disclose the giver’s material connection to the business. - Review Suppression:
The final rule prohibits a business from using unfounded or groundless legal threats, physical threats, intimidation, or certain false public accusations to prevent or remove a negative consumer review. - Misuse of Fake Social Media Indicators: The final rule prohibits anyone from selling or buying fake indicators of social media influence, such as followers or views generated by a bot or hijacked account.
As you can see, the rule is more comprehensive than just not allowing “fake” reviews, and addresses some of the specific types of misleading practices that some brands have engaged in.
The Growing Role of Trust in Patient Decision-Making
In a world where patients are overwhelmed with options for medical providers, trust has become the currency of healthcare marketing. A BrightLocal study released this year found that up to 98% of consumers read reviews before making any type of purchase. With the FTC’s crackdown, consumers will rely even more on genuine patient reviews when choosing a medical provider. RUNNER has seen this shift in our own medical practice clients, where patient reviews have had a major influence on patient volume and conversion rates.
A series of positive, authentic reviews can make a potential patient feel confident in choosing a new podiatrist or a surgeon. On the other hand, even just one fake or misleading review can cause doubt and erode trust. The FTC ban means that medical practices now have a greater incentive to ensure that all reviews are authentic—consumers expect nothing less.
The Challenges of Getting More Patient Reviews
Sure, it is important to generate a high volume of positive patient reviews, but it’s not always easy to accomplish. Many clients come to us having been unable to create and maintain a solid strategy for review generation, often due to a combination of fear over privacy concerns and lack of staff capacity. RUNNER’s Reviews Manager service is designed to help simplify the review generation process for our clients, enabling you to send and manage review requests in a HIPAA-compliant customer relationship management system.
RUNNER’s Reviews Manager Service Can Help
Our Reviews Manager service is designed to make collecting authentic, positive patient reviews seamless for medical practices. This comprehensive solution helps practices overcome the challenges of review generation while staying compliant with strict regulations.
Automated Requests Make It Easy
RUNNER’s Reviews Manager automates the entire review request process, making it easy for practices to collect feedback without adding extra workload for staff. Patients receive SMS or email prompts at a scheduled time you select after a visit, first asking them about their experience.
This allows you to first ensure you have a feedback loop on the patient experience, and address any issues that may come up quickly.
Encourage Positive Feedback
Patients who rate the practice 4 or 5 stars are given an option to visit Google and post a review, helping practices build a strong online reputation with authentic testimonials.
For patients who rate their experience between 1 and 3 stars, RUNNER’s service directs them to a private feedback form sent directly to the practice. This way, negative feedback is kept confidential, allowing the practice to address concerns directly with the patient and use the insights to improve future services.
Compliant with FTC and HIPAA Regulations
RUNNER’s service not only complies with the latest FTC guidelines to avoid misleading reviews but also adheres to HIPAA standards to ensure patient privacy. This compliance gives practices peace of mind in a regulated landscape.
By automating the review process and providing actionable insights, RUNNER’s Reviews Manager helps practices collect more 4- and 5-star reviews, handle negative experiences, and ultimately improve patient satisfaction. This service not only strengthens a practice’s online reputation but also builds a foundation of trust with potential patients.
Start Generating More Positive Patient Reviews Today
The FTC’s ban on fake reviews is a game-changer, but genuine reviews are not only crucial for compliance—they are the key to building trust with potential patients and standing out in a competitive field, and making all your marketing perform better.
Our Reviews Manager service provides the tools and expertise you need to stay compliant, grow your practice, and build long-term trust with patients. Request a consultation with one of our medical marketing experts to learn more about getting a reviews strategy in place.
