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Khanna’s Advice for Managing Online Physician Reputation

Ask Johns Hopkins Medicine physicians which of their colleagues has a strong online presence, and one of the names that you’re likely to hear is that of orthopaedic spine surgeon A. Jay Khanna.

12/01/2014
Published in Insight - December 2014

As a professor of orthopaedic surgery and the spine surgeon and division chief for the national capital region for Johns Hopkins' Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Khanna views his online footprint as a critical element of building his practice. It is so important that he has positioned iPads at checkout stations in each of his practice locations.

Those iPads do more than just gather feedback. Unique software actively encourages patients to rate his performance and post their comments on third-party websites, such as Vitals and Healthgrades, for all the world to see.

This level of transparency may seem intimidating, but Google Jay Khanna or read his patient reviews and you’ll see the benefits. The review and professional sites all point Web searchers toward his Johns Hopkins Medicine profile.

Khanna recently authored the chapter “Social Intelligence About the Patient Experience” in the book Applying Social Media Technologies in Healthcare Environments. Aaron Watkins, director of internet strategy at Johns Hopkins Medicine, sat down with Khanna to discuss the book and get Khanna’s top four tips for how to build your medical reputation’s online presence.

  1. When a patient asks how they can help you, ask them to write a review on Vitals.com. Vitals is one of the few physician rating websites where users can give a written review along with their ratings.
  2. Take a few minutes to review your Johns Hopkins online profile page and confirm that information, such as your phone number, address and clinical interests, are up to date.
  3. Put iPads or other devices in waiting rooms or at the checkout desk. It takes 30 to 50 seconds for patients to complete a survey that provides invaluable real-time data. If there’s a need for service recovery, your office can do that immediately.
  4. Operational issues often impact physician ratings as much as the interaction with the physician. Make sure staff members know exactly what questions are on the survey. When they understand the importance of their role in the patient experience, they bring their A-game.