It is nothing new that the Internet is the most popular place to obtain extensive information on various topics. Nor is the fact that patients use the web to find out about their doctor, for example. However, it is astonishing that 84 per cent of all patients use the Internet to search for a suitable doctor and specifically look for specialists.
This was the result of a representative survey of 1,002 patients conducted by the market research institute Research Now on behalf of the doctor rating portal Jamedadetermined.
What do patients search for on the Internet?
There are two main reasons for patients to look for a doctor online:
Search for specialists for a specific health problem
80 % of respondents stated that they searched online for a doctor with particular expertise in their individual health problem.
Search for indicators for the assessment of expertise
69 % rely on recommendations from other doctors, 68 per cent research information on patient satisfaction, 63 per cent want to find out about case numbers on the services provided by doctors.
What information is important to patients when they are looking for information about doctors on the Internet?
The respondents consider the following information on the practice homepage to be helpful in assessing the expertise of doctors with regard to certain illnesses or forms of treatment:
- Main areas of treatment of the doctor (51 %)
- Published studies or technical papers (47 %)
- Certificates and awards (45 %)
These aspects show that patients - when they have a very specific problem - don't just want to "try out" "any" doctor, but make an informed choice.
Other interesting results of the study
- 84 % of respondents have already looked for doctors online.
- Age seems to be the deciding factor: The younger the patient in question is, the more likely they are to search for a suitable doctor online. 91 % of 14 to 29-year-olds search online for information about their specialist. The figure is 89 % for 25 to 34-year-olds and 85 % for 35 to 44-year-olds. Among the over 45s, 78 % search online for a suitable specialist.
- Interesting: Women do more research than men.
- 77 % of respondents stated that they look for a suitable doctor on Google, 37 % visit a doctor rating portal.
What does this study mean for doctors?
This survey shows once again how important it is for a medical practice to have a professional, comprehensive and informative online presence. Not only that - it must of course also be easy for patients to find (especially on Google) so that they don't end up with competitors. You can find initial information on Google optimisation on our website at SEO for doctors.
