Health care reviews have taken a hit following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant decrease in positive ratings that have yet to fully recover. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that more than half of online reviews on platforms like Yelp are now negative, marking a stark contrast to the pre-pandemic era.
The analysis, published in JAMA Network Open, highlighted the importance of online reviews in providing valuable insights into the patient experience, complementing traditional reporting metrics like hospital-administered surveys. Lead author Neil Sehgal emphasized the role of reviews in helping hospitals understand patient preferences and areas for improvement in real time.
Analyzing Yelp reviews of health care facilities in the United States from 2014 to 2023, researchers observed a significant drop in positive reviews post-COVID, with themes like “insurance and billing issues” and “customer service and staff behavior” garnering more attention. The renewed focus on hygiene and cleanliness also emerged as a prominent topic in reviews following the pandemic.
Interestingly, disparities in reviews were observed along ethnic and geographic lines. Rural health care facilities, which already had lower ratings at the beginning of the study period, experienced a more significant decline in positive reviews post-COVID compared to urban facilities. Moreover, facilities in neighborhoods with higher proportions of Black or white residents saw more pronounced declines in positive ratings, while those with higher Hispanic populations showed less drastic changes.
The study also identified ethnic correlations in the most common complaints, with insurance and billing issues being more prevalent in reviews from areas with higher Black and Hispanic populations, while wait times were a common concern in areas with higher white populations. These findings underscore the need for health systems to tailor their services to meet the diverse needs and opinions of local communities.
Moving forward, researchers aim to delve deeper into the content of reviews to better understand attitudes and opinions across different demographic groups. By gaining insights from online reviews, health care professionals can address specific concerns and improve patient satisfaction. The study, titled “Disparities by Race and Urbanicity in Online Health Care Facility Reviews,” sheds light on the evolving landscape of health care feedback post-COVID and provides valuable insights for enhancing patient experiences.
