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Table of contents
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For a long time, a doctor's reputation was built mainly through word of mouth. Recommendations between loved ones, patient trust, and the quality of care were generally enough to build a patient base.
Today, this reality has profoundly changed.
Even before making an appointment, many patients now look up information on the Internet. They consult the practice's Google Business Profile, reviews left by other patients, the practitioner's website, or info available on various platforms.
This trend has become massive. According to URPS Bretagne, nearly 8 out of 10 patients consult online reviews before choosing a healthcare professional, and 75% say they are more attracted to a doctor who has online reviews than a practitioner who has none. (1)
E-reputation has thus become an integral part of the patient experience.
However, this development raises many questions. Do online reviews really reflect the quality of care? How should one respond to a negative review? How can you protect your digital image in the long term?
In this article, we take a look at what medical e-reputation actually is, why it has become a major challenge, and what the best practices are for preserving it.
What is a doctor's e-reputation?
E-reputation refers to the image that a professional projects on the Internet (2) (6)
For a doctor, it is not limited to a simple rating on Google. It is the result of all the information accessible online, including:
ratings and reviews published on the Google listing;
comments left on various platforms;
the practice's website;
press or blog articles;
or even professional social networks.
In other words, e-reputation often represents the first impression a future patient gets before even meeting their doctor.
It directly contributes to establishing, or not, a relationship of trust.
Why has e-reputation become so important?
The Internet has now become a reflex when searching for a healthcare professional.
Whether it is a move, a change of general practitioner, or looking for a specialist, search engines are now an almost systematic step.
This trend particularly affects new patients, who do not yet benefit from word-of-mouth or personal recommendations (3)
E-reputation thus influences:
the decision to book an appointment;
trust before the first consultation;
the overall image of the medical practice;
patient loyalty.
It has progressively become a real asset for the medical practice.
The phenomenon is accelerating rapidly. The MACSF indicates that it handled seven times more cases related to e-reputation in 2024 than in 2020, with a majority concerning general practitioners (521 cases), followed by dermatologists (71 cases) and ophthalmologists (35 cases). The digital image of healthcare professionals has therefore become a tangible daily management issue. (4)
Do reviews actually reflect the quality of care?
Contrary to what one might think, patient reviews rarely assess the medical quality of care. Patients generally do not possess the necessary knowledge to judge a diagnosis or a therapeutic strategy.
On the other hand, they can easily evaluate their experience.
A patient will notably remember:
the time it took to get an appointment;
the time spent in the waiting room;
the quality of the welcome;
how easy it was to reach the practice;
the feeling of having been listened to;
the clarity of the explanations;
the time dedicated during the consultation.
In other words, reviews often focus more on the experience itself than on the medical act.
Two highly skilled doctors can thus receive very different ratings simply because their organisation or communication differs.
What is a doctor's e-reputation?
E-reputation refers to the image that a professional projects on the Internet (2) (6)
For a doctor, it is not limited to a simple rating on Google. It is the result of all the information accessible online, including:
ratings and reviews published on the Google listing;
comments left on various platforms;
the practice's website;
press or blog articles;
or even professional social networks.
In other words, e-reputation often represents the first impression a future patient gets before even meeting their doctor.
It directly contributes to establishing, or not, a relationship of trust.
Why has e-reputation become so important?
The Internet has now become a reflex when searching for a healthcare professional.
Whether it is a move, a change of general practitioner, or looking for a specialist, search engines are now an almost systematic step.
This trend particularly affects new patients, who do not yet benefit from word-of-mouth or personal recommendations (3)
E-reputation thus influences:
the decision to book an appointment;
trust before the first consultation;
the overall image of the medical practice;
patient loyalty.
It has progressively become a real asset for the medical practice.
The phenomenon is accelerating rapidly. The MACSF indicates that it handled seven times more cases related to e-reputation in 2024 than in 2020, with a majority concerning general practitioners (521 cases), followed by dermatologists (71 cases) and ophthalmologists (35 cases). The digital image of healthcare professionals has therefore become a tangible daily management issue. (4)
Do reviews actually reflect the quality of care?
Contrary to what one might think, patient reviews rarely assess the medical quality of care. Patients generally do not possess the necessary knowledge to judge a diagnosis or a therapeutic strategy.
On the other hand, they can easily evaluate their experience.
A patient will notably remember:
the time it took to get an appointment;
the time spent in the waiting room;
the quality of the welcome;
how easy it was to reach the practice;
the feeling of having been listened to;
the clarity of the explanations;
the time dedicated during the consultation.
In other words, reviews often focus more on the experience itself than on the medical act.
Two highly skilled doctors can thus receive very different ratings simply because their organisation or communication differs.
Why do patients leave negative reviews?
In the majority of cases, the reasons for dissatisfaction are more organizational than medical.
⏱️ Significant waiting times
Repeated delays remain one of the primary causes of negative reviews.
Even when they are related to perfectly legitimate medical emergencies, they can generate misunderstanding if they are not explained.
💬 A lack of explanations
A relevant diagnosis can be poorly received if the patient leaves with the feeling of not having understood their situation or treatment.
Listening, pedagogy, and the time spent on explanations play a major role in satisfaction.
💻 A consultation too focused on the computer
Doctors today have to manage an increasing amount of administrative and documentation tasks.
When their attention seems more focused on the electronic file than on the patient, the patient may feel that they are not being listened to enough.
📅 Difficulties in accessing care
Appointment delays, difficulty reaching the practice, postponements or schedule changes can also degrade the experience and influence the published reviews.
Why do patients leave negative reviews?
In the majority of cases, the reasons for dissatisfaction are more organizational than medical.
⏱️ Significant waiting times
Repeated delays remain one of the primary causes of negative reviews.
Even when they are related to perfectly legitimate medical emergencies, they can generate misunderstanding if they are not explained.
💬 A lack of explanations
A relevant diagnosis can be poorly received if the patient leaves with the feeling of not having understood their situation or treatment.
Listening, pedagogy, and the time spent on explanations play a major role in satisfaction.
💻 A consultation too focused on the computer
Doctors today have to manage an increasing amount of administrative and documentation tasks.
When their attention seems more focused on the electronic file than on the patient, the patient may feel that they are not being listened to enough.
📅 Difficulties in accessing care
Appointment delays, difficulty reaching the practice, postponements or schedule changes can also degrade the experience and influence the published reviews.
How to sustainably improve and protect your online reputation?
The best strategy is not to artificially seek more positive reviews.
It consists of sustainably improving the patient experience and controlling your digital presence.
📍 Claim your Google listing
Many doctors are unaware that their Google listing already exists, created automatically by Google.
Claiming it allows you in particular to:
correct opening hours and contact details;
add photos of the practice;
respond to reviews;
report inappropriate content.
A complete and regularly updated profile inspires more trust (5)
🔎 Set up regular monitoring
The National Council of the Order of Physicians recommends regularly monitoring your digital image by searching for your name on the main search engines, review platforms, and social networks. A simple monthly search often makes it possible to quickly detect incorrect information or a problematic review. (6)
💬 Respond to reviews professionally
Responding to a negative review is never an obligation.
When a professional chooses to respond, the CNOM recommends:
thanking the patient for their feedback;
acknowledging their feelings;
remaining courteous and factual;
offering a private discussion where relevant.
On the other hand, there is one absolute rule: never disclose information covered by medical confidentiality, even if the patient themselves mentions their medical care.
⚖️ Know how to distinguish criticism from defamation
Not all criticism is illegal.
However, insults, defamatory, discriminatory statements, or those violating privacy can be reported, or even lead to legal action.
The National Council of the Order's guide notes in particular that certain procedures relating to insults or defamation must be initiated within three months of the comments being published. (6)
🌐 Develop a positive digital presence
The best protection is often to build a high-quality digital presence.
This includes in particular:
a complete Google profile;
a professional website;
up-to-date information;
educational content intended for patients.
The goal is for the first information visible when a patient searches for your name to be reliable, useful, and controlled. (5) (6) (7)
How to sustainably improve and protect your online reputation?
The best strategy is not to artificially seek more positive reviews.
It consists of sustainably improving the patient experience and controlling your digital presence.
📍 Claim your Google listing
Many doctors are unaware that their Google listing already exists, created automatically by Google.
Claiming it allows you in particular to:
correct opening hours and contact details;
add photos of the practice;
respond to reviews;
report inappropriate content.
A complete and regularly updated profile inspires more trust (5)
🔎 Set up regular monitoring
The National Council of the Order of Physicians recommends regularly monitoring your digital image by searching for your name on the main search engines, review platforms, and social networks. A simple monthly search often makes it possible to quickly detect incorrect information or a problematic review. (6)
💬 Respond to reviews professionally
Responding to a negative review is never an obligation.
When a professional chooses to respond, the CNOM recommends:
thanking the patient for their feedback;
acknowledging their feelings;
remaining courteous and factual;
offering a private discussion where relevant.
On the other hand, there is one absolute rule: never disclose information covered by medical confidentiality, even if the patient themselves mentions their medical care.
⚖️ Know how to distinguish criticism from defamation
Not all criticism is illegal.
However, insults, defamatory, discriminatory statements, or those violating privacy can be reported, or even lead to legal action.
The National Council of the Order's guide notes in particular that certain procedures relating to insults or defamation must be initiated within three months of the comments being published. (6)
🌐 Develop a positive digital presence
The best protection is often to build a high-quality digital presence.
This includes in particular:
a complete Google profile;
a professional website;
up-to-date information;
educational content intended for patients.
The goal is for the first information visible when a patient searches for your name to be reliable, useful, and controlled. (5) (6) (7)
A good e-reputation often begins before the consultation
Patient satisfaction does not start when they walk into the practice.
It begins as early as booking the appointment and is built throughout their entire journey.
When the doctor already has structured information before the consultation, quickly understands the reason for the visit, and can dedicate more time to clinical discussion, the experience is generally smoother for both the patient and the practitioner.
This is the logic behind the new digital medical assistants.
At Aldebaran, we believe that improving a practice's e-reputation is not just about responding to reviews, but above all about improving the patient experience.
Our digital medical assistant thus supports the patient before their appointment to gather, structure, and synthesise the information useful for the consultation. The doctor can then devote more time to dialogue, explanations, and medical decision-making.
The goal is not to replace the practice's teams, but to complement them by intervening in a stage that is still poorly structured: the pre-consultation.
A good e-reputation often begins before the consultation
Patient satisfaction does not start when they walk into the practice.
It begins as early as booking the appointment and is built throughout their entire journey.
When the doctor already has structured information before the consultation, quickly understands the reason for the visit, and can dedicate more time to clinical discussion, the experience is generally smoother for both the patient and the practitioner.
This is the logic behind the new digital medical assistants.
At Aldebaran, we believe that improving a practice's e-reputation is not just about responding to reviews, but above all about improving the patient experience.
Our digital medical assistant thus supports the patient before their appointment to gather, structure, and synthesise the information useful for the consultation. The doctor can then devote more time to dialogue, explanations, and medical decision-making.
The goal is not to replace the practice's teams, but to complement them by intervening in a stage that is still poorly structured: the pre-consultation.
Conclusion
Doctors' e-reputation has become an unavoidable issue.
While reviews published online do not always reflect the medical quality of care, they often reflect the quality of the experience had by patients.
Preserving one's e-reputation is therefore not about seeking more positive reviews. It is, above all, about sustainably improving the organisation of the practice, communication with patients, and their care pathway.
As digital tools evolve, this experience now begins long before the consultation itself. This is probably where the most significant room for improvement lies for the years to come.
(1) URPS Médecins Libéraux Bretagne. Introduction to the e-reputation of the liberal doctor and surgeon. Updated in 2025.
(2) URPS Médecins Libéraux Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Medical e-reputation. 2025.
(3) IFOP / Guest Suite. Study on the influence of customer reviews on the purchasing habits of French people. 2026.
(4) MACSF. The healthcare professional's e-reputation.
(5) Google. Understanding policies on contributions and reviews on Google. Official documentation.
(6) French National Medical Council (CNOM). Practical guide – Preserving your digital reputation. 2018, PDF provided by the CNOM.
(7) Google. Manage your Business Profile on Google. Official documentation.
FAQ
What is a doctor's e-reputation?
Why has e-reputation become so important?
Why do patients leave negative reviews?
How to sustainably improve your e-reputation?
Does a good e-reputation start before the consultation?
Can a negative Google review be removed?
How to respond to a review without violating medical confidentiality?
FAQ
What is a doctor's e-reputation?
Why has e-reputation become so important?
Why do patients leave negative reviews?
How to sustainably improve your e-reputation?
Does a good e-reputation start before the consultation?
Can a negative Google review be removed?
How to respond to a review without violating medical confidentiality?
FAQ
What is a doctor's e-reputation?
Why has e-reputation become so important?
Why do patients leave negative reviews?
How to sustainably improve your e-reputation?
Does a good e-reputation start before the consultation?
Can a negative Google review be removed?
How to respond to a review without violating medical confidentiality?
