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
    alzheimer’s disease
    Anavex Life Sciences’ Anavex 2-73 Could Slow Alzheimer’s
    June 14, 2024
    medicare shift
    From Volume To Value: The Medicare Shift To Value-Based Care
    August 20, 2024
    Physicians
    Why Recruiting Physicians is More Challenging than Hiring Other Professionals
    December 17, 2024
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 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
    The Divide in the ACO Debate – Beltway Rhetoric versus Marketplace Cynicism
    February 3, 2012
    Patient Engagement Matters
    February 6, 2013
    future of healthcare survey heathcare reform
    The Future of Healthcare Survey: Does it include Doctors?
    March 2, 2012
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 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
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

Exercise and Sleep Quality
FDA Approves Roche/Genentech Drug Erivedge to Treat Advanced Skin Cancer Not Treatable with Surgery
How Can Big Data Leverage Healthcare Industry
Just Like Any New, Burgeoning Shiny New Object, Healthcare CRM Has Its Own Challenges
5 Ways to Target Your Medical Practice’s Search Marketing Ads

:: 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

Health Tips For Women
Top 5 Health Tips For Women Over 45
Women Health
July 7, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Five Accelerants to the Adoption of Connected Health

February 2, 2015

Dramatic Early Clinical Trial Success for New Cancer Treatment

March 14, 2016
shorty thank you
Social Media

What I Learned On the Road to the Shorty’s

February 18, 2013

Text Messaging Works Well For Patient Communications

June 11, 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?