For doctors, dentists, clinics and practice managers

Medical review FAQ

Straight answers on replying to patient reviews without HIPAA risk, handling fake reviews and getting policy-violating reviews removed from Google, Yelp and medical review sites.

Want the full background, HHS enforcement cases and reply templates? Read the medical review response guide and download the free PDF.

General education, not legal advice. Reputation Medics is not a law firm. Ask a qualified healthcare attorney or privacy officer to review your practice's policy.

Replying to patient reviews under HIPAA

Can a doctor reply to a negative Google review without violating HIPAA?

HIPAA has no blanket ban on replies. A covered practice must not disclose protected health information without a permitted basis or valid authorization. Keep the reply general, do not confirm the person was a patient and have your privacy officer or healthcare attorney approve the wording.

The patient already shared their diagnosis in the review. Can we discuss it?

No. A patient posting about their own care is not a HIPAA authorization for your practice. Your reply is a separate disclosure. Do not repeat, confirm or correct treatment, visit or billing details.

Is "we're sorry about your visit" a privacy problem?

It confirms a visit happened, which links an identifiable person to care. AMA guidance advises physicians not to acknowledge the reviewer is a patient. Thank the person for feedback and invite them to contact the office instead.

Should we reply to positive patient reviews?

You can, with the same care. "Glad your knee surgery went well" discloses treatment. A generic thank-you with no clinical or visit details is the safer reply.

Does HIPAA apply to a cash-only practice or med spa?

Not automatically. HHS treats providers as covered entities when they conduct specified electronic transactions such as insurance billing. Check your operations with counsel. State confidentiality laws and licensing rules can still apply where HIPAA does not.

Questions from specific practice types

How should dentists and orthodontists answer bad reviews?

Use the same privacy-first reply. Do not mention X-rays, treatment plans, a child's appointments, missed visits or balances. A neutral acknowledgement and an office contact keep the public reply separate from care.

A plastic surgery patient posted before-and-after claims we dispute. Can we post our photos?

Do not publish clinical photos, consent forms or chart notes to rebut a review. Those are patient records. If the review breaks platform policy, report it with nonclinical evidence. If it is a genuine complaint, a neutral reply is the safer path.

Are mental health and addiction treatment providers held to stricter rules?

Some are. Certain substance use disorder records fall under additional federal confidentiality rules (42 CFR Part 2), and confirming contact with a behavioral health clinic reveals sensitive information on its own. Have counsel review your policy for the services you offer.

Can a pharmacy, lab or imaging center confirm a prescription or test in a reply?

No. Prescriptions, test orders and results are health information. Reply without confirming the person used your service and move the conversation to a private, verified channel.

Removing medical and dental reviews

Can a medical practice get a negative review removed?

Only when the review breaks the platform's published policy, such as fake engagement, conflicts of interest, off-topic content or harassment. Google does not remove a review because the practice disagrees with it or because it hurts bookings.

We can't find the reviewer in our records. Is the review fake?

Not necessarily. Many patients post under nicknames. Do not post that you searched your charts, because that implies a records lookup. Preserve nonclinical evidence privately and report the review if it violates platform policy.

Can we send patient records to Google to prove a review is false?

Do not attach patient records to a platform report without a legal basis and privacy review. Removal filings should rely on nonclinical evidence such as a competitor link, an off-topic description or a reviewer with no connection to the practice.

Can we ask patients to remove reviews or offer them something to change them?

Do not threaten reviewers or offer incentives conditioned on positive sentiment. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule prohibits review suppression and specified deceptive practices, and the Consumer Review Fairness Act limits contract terms that restrict honest reviews.

Do you contact patients or reviewers during a removal case?

Never. Every filing goes to the platform, not the person. That also keeps the practice out of a direct exchange that could disclose patient information.

Cost, refund and guarantee

What is your guarantee for medical review removal?

Not removed within 30 days (Google) or 90 days (other platforms)? Full refund.

What happens if the review is not removed?

You pay the removal fee upfront so we can begin work. If a specific Google review is not removed within 30 days of payment, or a Yelp review or other-platform item is not removed within 90 days of payment, we refund that item's full removal fee to your original payment method after our review. No claim or form is required. Refunds are issued within 5 business days of the applicable deadline. Google, Yelp, and other third-party sites make the final removal decision.

Can you guarantee a review will come down?

Google, Yelp, and the sites we file with make the final removal decision. For upfront payments, what we guarantee is the refund of the removal fee, reviewed and issued by us, if the item remains live past the applicable 30-day or 90-day deadline.

Have a medical review you want checked?

We confirm whether it breaks platform policy before you pay. We never contact the reviewer.

Not removed within 30 days? Full refund.

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