By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Dealing With Negative Feedback on Your Hospital Social Media
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Dealing With Negative Feedback on Your Hospital Social Media
eHealthHospital AdministrationMedical EducationMedical InnovationsMobile HealthNewsSocial MediaTechnology

Dealing With Negative Feedback on Your Hospital Social Media

Nicola Ziady
Last updated: November 12, 2011 10:22 am
Nicola Ziady
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

As healthcare marketers we often say vague things like “social media is a conversation” but what we really mean is, unlike traditional marketing and communication which were uni-directional, social media is a two-way discussion medium. Not only can hospitals communicate with patients but patients can also communicate with doctors and with each other! In general, this type of communication is great — patients and physicians form personal relationships and become part of a community around the hospital brand and service lines.

As healthcare marketers we often say vague things like “social media is a conversation” but what we really mean is, unlike traditional marketing and communication which were uni-directional, social media is a two-way discussion medium. Not only can hospitals communicate with patients but patients can also communicate with doctors and with each other! In general, this type of communication is great — patients and physicians form personal relationships and become part of a community around the hospital brand and service lines. However, we have to be careful because when we open the conversation to anyone, we can invite negative criticism and we need to be prepared to deal with it. Here’s a quick guide to dealing with negative feedback on your social media toolkit.

The first step in dealing with negative commentary on your social media networks is to determine what type of feedback you have received. “Negative feedback” comes in a different “flavors” and each type is dealt with in a different type of response. Determining and understanding which type of feedback you are facing is an essential step towards choosing how to mold the appropriate response.  

More Read

Electronic Health Record Solutions Don’t Make Errors: People Do
Healthcare Technology Can Shift The Industry’s Service Goals Higher
New Study Links Infertility to Flame Retardants in Furniture and Carpet
Doctors 2.0 & You: Infographic on the #doctors20 Hashtag
Mobile Health Around the Globe: BioBeats Marches to Your HeartBeat

:: Straight Out Problem :: A patient or referring physician may have a problem with your hospital or service and may have published a list of what what went wrong. This type of feedback is very negative and paints your hospital in a very poor light. On the other side, this type of feedback can be very helpful in exposing genuine problems that need to be dealt with and gotten rid of.

:: Constructive Criticism :: The best type of criticism to receive is when the feedback comes with a suggestion attached. Many patients— including the most loyal ones, will use Twitter, Facebook or your blog to suggest ways in which you can improve your facilities, service or care. While this feedback does point out flaws, it can be very helpful to receive.  

:: Merited Attack :: While the negative comment itself may not be merited, the issue that initiated it has merit in this type of feedback. You, your physician or your nurse did something wrong, and someone is angry.

:: Troll :: This is an annoying type of negative feedback! The difference between trolling & a merited attack is that trolls have no legitimate reason for being angry at the hospital. This feedback is a waste of everyone’s time!

Now that you have decided the type of feedback you have received, the next step is to decide on the right type of response. The first rule in responding to criticism is to always stay positive. Avoid fueling the fire and adding more negativity to the social conversation by letting your hospital be drawn into a public brawl with a patient. This will ultimately reflect poorly on you, your service and the hospital … and it may also inflame the situation!

When dealing with a Straight Out Problem, your response is critically necessary. Whether your response is personal or a public message depends on how widespread the problem is and how many people are discussing it. But regardless, if a serious problem exists, steps should be taken to fix it and patients should be notified that those steps are being taken and they are being listened to. Note :: there will be times when such tough criticism is the result of a “perceived problem” rather than an actual problem (e.g., someone who just doesn’t like the method by which you do a certain procedure.) My advise is this type of complaint should also be given a formal response, even if only to say, “Thank you for bringing it to my attention, but here’s why we do it that way.”  

Constructive Criticism may also requires a formal response. Implementing the suggestion provided will build patient loyalty and trust by responding to negative criticism with positive messaging. Dont forget to thank those patients who took the time to provide you with a suggestion.  

Merited Attacks are much tougher to tackle and solve as they are more likely to involve other groups in the hospital. Try to remember that this type of criticism, as harsh as it may be to read, has a base in a realworld problem. It is best to respond quickly and with a positive vibe (example response :: thank the commenter for their feedback and assure them that steps are being taken to correct the problem or mitigate their issue). The last type of negative feedback,

Trolling, is the only category which does not require a response to rescue your hospital’s reputation. To be honest, it is almost better not to respond to Trolls! This type of commentary is not really “feedback” and is designed to bait you into an unnecessary and perhaps even reputation damaging brawl. Ignore this type of feedback and remove from your Facebook page.

 

TAGGED:negative feedback on social medianegative feedback on your hospital social mediareputation managementsocial media negative feedback
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

2012 Healthcare Data Breach Update
eHealth

Keep ePHI on Secure Networks, Not Mobile Devices, Recommends OCR

May 16, 2012

Infographic: App Overload for Doctors

November 2, 2011

Communication and Engagement Helped Minn. Hospitals Cut Avoidable Readmissions

May 31, 2013

GlySure Develops a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

November 30, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?