As urologists, asking for a testimonial from a patient does not come easy. Our training does not condone doctors tooting their own horns. Attracting patients in a competitive market can feel like an uphill battle. So, how do urologists and urologic practices stand out from the competition? One effective tool in today’s marketplace is generating patient testimonials.

There’s hardly a day that goes by that patients don’t comment positively and compliment the care they have received in our offices. Most of the time, we say, “Thank you,” and move on. It is possible and ethical to turn those compliments into testimonials for your website, blogs, and online review sites.

My first approach was to give a patient a business-sized card when a patient complimented me or my staff (Figure). I asked the patient if they would share the compliment with existing patients and potential new patients. Nearly everyone promised to go to the sites suggested on the card. The response could have been better, with less than 2% responding.

Then, I changed the method of converting these verbal compliments to written testimonials. I or one of my staff who received the praise asked the patient if they would go online and submit their kind remark to one of the review sites. If the patient has a computer or mobile phone, we help them log on while in the office. If necessary, we transcribe their verbiage to the review sites.

If the patient cannot type, I usually write what the patient says verbatim and ask them to sign and date the form. This gives me signed permission and enables the patient to read what they said to ensure they are accurately quoted. In my experience with this approach, I have never had a patient refuse permission to capture their positive remarks.

By highlighting patients’ positive experiences in your practice, you can share your outstanding services with potential patients and persuade them to contact you for their urologic issues. More than three-quarters of online viewers say the presence of a positive testimonial increased their likelihood of using that physician or practice. Eighty-five percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.¹

Bottom line: Patients are looking for and leaving reviews about you and your practice online; you can capture those glowing reviews. My final advice is to actively capture those positive reviews that are plentiful to every urologist and in every urologic practice. This inexpensive process requires a minimum amount of work and will result in 4 to 5 stars for each of us.