Personal branding for physicians: trust without breaking it.

Why a Personal Brand Matters for Physicians

Patients increasingly choose doctors the way they choose other services: they search, read and compare. A study of online physician ratings over five years found that the number of ratings grew quickly, that ratings were generally positive, with an average of 3.93 out of 5, and that they were not dominated by disgruntled patients (Gao and colleagues, 2012).

How much those ratings sway choices is less clear. A later survey found mixed results: 84 percent of respondents had never visited a physician rating site, yet 28.1 percent strongly agreed that a positive review alone would make them seek care from that doctor (Burkle and Keegan, 2015). The fair reading is that online reputation matters to some patients a great deal and to others hardly at all.

A personal brand also serves the physician's career. Doctors in prestigious hospitals and groups share their reputation with their employer, which both adds to it and takes from it (Parmentier and Fischer, 2021). A physician known for a clear area of expertise brings that reputation to speaking, teaching, media and the next role.

What Good Help Looks Like

Clarity About Your Practice

Good help starts with what you treat, whom you serve and how you practice. A practice should learn how your patients and referring doctors find you before it proposes channels or content.

An Accurate, Findable Presence

That means correct details on the profiles patients check, a clear biography, a clean search result for your name and a small number of channels used well. Accuracy is the first priority in healthcare; an outdated profile can send a patient to the wrong place.

Education, Not Promotion

Plain language explanations of conditions and treatments build trust and help patients. They also avoid most of the rules below, because they need no patient information at all.

A Calm Approach to Reviews

Reviews shape choices, and readers weigh negative reviews heavily (Chevalier and Mayzlin, 2006). How positive reviews are tends to matter more than how many there are (You and colleagues, 2015). A good practice helps you earn reviews honestly and answer criticism without disclosing anything about the patient.

The Rules That Limit What You Can Say

For physicians in the United States, the main limit is the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which applies to covered entities, including most health care providers. State medical boards, state privacy laws and professional societies add their own rules on advertising and conduct.

Patient Information Is Protected

The Privacy Rule says a covered entity may not use or disclose protected health information except as the rule permits or requires. Protected health information is broad: it includes information that relates to the provision of health care to an individual and identifies that individual, including demographic information. The fact that a named person was your patient is itself health information about them.

Answering Online Reviews

This is where many physicians get caught. A reply that confirms the reviewer was a patient, or mentions their condition, treatment, visit or bill, discloses protected health information. The rule has no exception for a patient who posted first. A safe reply speaks about your practice's general policies and invites the person to contact the office directly, without confirming that any relationship exists. Review responding to reviews and complaints for the general approach.

Testimonials, Stories and Before and After Images

Using a patient's story, quote, name or image to promote your practice is a use of protected health information that the rule does not otherwise permit, so it needs the patient's written authorization. The rule also requires authorization for most marketing uses of patient information. Full face photographs are listed among the identifiers that make information identifiable, so before and after photos need particular care. Get a valid written authorization first, keep it on file and respect a patient's choice to decline.

Testimonials also fall under the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides, which require honest opinions and a clear statement of generally expected results when a featured result is not typical.

What to Ask Before Hiring

• Have you worked with physicians or health systems before?
• How do you make sure nothing you publish discloses patient information?
• How would you answer a negative review of my practice?
• How do you get and store patient authorizations for testimonials or photos?
• Will you work with my compliance team and sign the agreements they require?
• Who on your team will see patient information, if anyone, and why?

The full list is in Questions to Ask.

Red Flags

• A practice that replies to reviews by correcting the patient's account of their care.
• Plans to post patient stories or photos before authorizations are in place.
• Promises of a rating, a ranking or a number of new patients.
• Offers to buy reviews or post reviews on your behalf.
• No answer when you ask how they handle HIPAA.

Sources

Each source was read at its publisher, its DOI record or an official index such as PubMed. Findings are summarized in plain words; see how sources are chosen.

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023). 45 CFR 160.103: Definitions (opens in a new tab). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, 2023 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023). 45 CFR 164.502: Uses and disclosures of protected health information, general rules (opens in a new tab). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, 2023 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office.
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023). 45 CFR 164.508: Uses and disclosures for which an authorization is required (opens in a new tab). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, 2023 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023). 45 CFR 164.514: Other requirements relating to uses and disclosures of protected health information (opens in a new tab). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, 2023 edition, U.S. Government Publishing Office.
5. Federal Trade Commission (2023). FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking (opens in a new tab). Federal Trade Commission business guidance.
6. Gao, G. G., McCullough, J. S., Agarwal, R., and Jha, A. K. (2012). A Changing Landscape of Physician Quality Reporting: Analysis of Patients' Online Ratings of Their Physicians Over a 5-Year Period (opens in a new tab). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(1), e38.
7. Burkle, C. M., and Keegan, M. T. (2015). Popularity of Internet Physician Rating Sites and Their Apparent Influence on Patients' Choices of Physicians (opens in a new tab). BMC Health Services Research, 15, 416.
8. Parmentier, M.-A., and Fischer, E. (2021). Working It: Managing Professional Brands in Prestigious Posts (opens in a new tab). Journal of Marketing, 85(2), 110 to 128.
9. Chevalier, J. A., and Mayzlin, D. (2006). The Effect of Word of Mouth on Sales: Online Book Reviews (opens in a new tab). Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 345 to 354.
10. You, Y., Vadakkepatt, G. G., and Joshi, A. M. (2015). A Meta-Analysis of Electronic Word-of-Mouth Elasticity (opens in a new tab). Journal of Marketing, 79(2), 19 to 39.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can doctors respond to negative online reviews?

Yes, but without disclosing protected health information. Do not confirm the reviewer was a patient or discuss their care. Speak to your general policies and invite them to contact the office directly.

Can a doctor post patient testimonials?

Only with the patient's valid written authorization under HIPAA, and in line with your state board's rules. Testimonials must also be honest and make clear what results are generally expected.

Do before and after photos need patient consent?

Yes. Patient photos used to promote a practice need a valid written HIPAA authorization, and full face photographs are among the identifiers the rule lists. Check your state's rules as well.

Does HIPAA apply to a doctor's personal social media?

HIPAA applies to the patient information, not the platform. Anything that identifies a patient or their care is protected, whether it appears on a practice page or a personal account.

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