In the digital age, patients increasingly turn to online resources to research and choose healthcare providers. Google searches have become a common starting point, and physician bios are vital to influencing patients' decisions.
Physician bios provide patients valuable insights into individual doctors' expertise, experience, and approach to patient care. Understanding the underlying reasons behind patients’ behaviors is key to developing effective strategies for optimizing physician bios. In fact, according to an Advisory Board survey, one-third of patients self-refer to a specialist. This indicates that patients seeking specialized care actively take the initiative to find providers themselves. They will likely conduct extensive research to identify physicians, focusing specifically on medical specialty or condition. In fact, patients, on average, look at three physician profiles before booking an appointment. And this self-referral trend isn’t relegated to one specialty:
- In the realm of OB/GYN, a significant 41% of new private payer visits were self-referred. Patients in this specialty often prioritize personal rapport, comfort, and gender preferences when selecting a healthcare provider. Physician bios are crucial to providing important context and humanizing a provider, which helps patients establish trust with their potential OB/GYN.
- 16% of respondents self-referred for cardiovascular services. Patients with cardiovascular concerns understand the importance of choosing a highly qualified and experienced physician. They are likely to examine physician bios to assess the specific expertise and track record of potential providers in the field of cardiology.
- 11% of cancer patients report switching providers in 2019, up from 8% in 2015. Patients seek assurance, empathy, and expertise in cancer treatment. Physician bios are crucial to establishing trust and confidence for patients, helping them make informed decisions about their care.
Doximity provides healthcare organizations with tools to optimize their online presence and shape physician profiles that patients encounter every day. Doximity helps its hospital partners achieve:
More Prominent Visibility on Platforms like U.S. News
Healthcare organizations using Doximity can elevate their physicians' search rankings by featuring them on highly-ranked pages. Through Doximity's collaboration with U.S. News, physician profiles are shared on the U.S. News platform. As a result, physician bios often appear among the first search results. This increased visibility ensures that patients searching for specialized care discover and consider the organization’s physicians, increasing their likelihood of being selected.
Control and Accuracy of Physician Data
Physicians own their Doximity profiles, and it’s easy for them to make direct edits. Healthcare organizations can make profile update suggestions directly through their dashboard. This ensures that patients are finding accurate and comprehensive physician data. Patients can rely on up-to-date information when researching and choosing their healthcare providers on trusted sites like U.S. News.
Understanding patients' decision-making process and the role of physician bios is vital to enhancing healthcare organizations' online presence. By leveraging platforms like Doximity, healthcare organizations can enhance their visibility on trusted sites like U.S. News and ensure that accurate and compelling physician data is readily available to patients.
For more information on how Doximity can support your direct-to-consumer marketing, click here.