| Course | BUS 532 Healthcare Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Digital marketing and reputation plan |
| Length | About 1,075 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | MBA |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 532 Module 6
Four Stars, Forty-Minute Waits and a Reply That Could Break the Law: A Digital and Reputation Plan for a Dermatology Group
Student Name
MBA Program, Aspen University
BUS 532: Healthcare Marketing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Four Stars, Forty-Minute Waits and a Reply That Could Break the Law: A Digital and Reputation Plan for a Dermatology Group
Carolina Skin Associates, a composite group of 14 dermatologists and 9 physician assistants, operates six offices around Charlotte, North Carolina. It treats medical conditions such as skin cancer, acne and eczema and offers some cosmetic services. Two years ago its online ratings averaged 4.5 stars across major review sites; today they average 4.0 across 1,240 reviews. Over the same period, two private equity-backed dermatology groups opened offices in the area and invested heavily in online advertising. New patient appointments booked online have fallen 12%. This paper proposes a digital marketing and reputation plan.
How Patients Use Online Ratings
Hanauer et al. (2014), surveying a national sample of adults, found that about six in ten rated online doctor reviews as mattering to some degree when they picked a physician. Among those who had used rating sites, roughly one in three said strong ratings had led them to a doctor, and a similar portion said weak ratings had steered them away. For a specialty such as dermatology, where many patients book directly and choose among several nearby practices, ratings can shift a meaningful share of new patients.
What Reviews Reveal
Ranard et al. (2016) compared online reviews of hospitals with the standard federal patient experience survey. They found that review ratings correlated with survey scores but that reviews also discussed topics the survey did not cover, such as cost, billing, the quality of nursing and the experience of family members. Reviews, in other words, are not just noise; they are a source of information about patients' experience that formal surveys can miss.
The Digital Audit
The audit covered three areas. In search, the group ranked on the first page of results for its own name but on the second or third page for common searches such as skin cancer screening Charlotte or eczema dermatologist, where competitors' paid ads and location listings appeared first. Its website loaded slowly on phones, and online booking required six screens. In reviews, a coding of 300 recent reviews found that 64% of one- and two-star reviews mentioned waiting more than 30 minutes or difficulty getting an appointment, 23% mentioned unexpected bills, often for biopsies or cosmetic charges, and fewer than 10% concerned the quality of medical care.
The Operational Causes
The audit points to operations. Wait times grew after the group added physicians without adding exam rooms at two offices, and biopsy bills surprised patients because the front desk did not explain that a biopsy is billed separately from the visit. No digital campaign can fix these problems. The group will add evening hours at the two crowded offices, set a goal of seeing patients within 15 minutes of their appointment time, text patients when a provider is running late and give every patient a written explanation of possible additional charges before a procedure.
Legal Limits
Two sets of rules shape the plan. Under the HIPAA privacy rule, a practice may not disclose protected health information without authorization, and even confirming that a reviewer is a patient can be a disclosure (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022). Replies to reviews must therefore be general and must not discuss any individual's care. The Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews, 16 C.F.R. Part 465, prohibits fake reviews, buying positive reviews, conditioning incentives on favorable sentiment and suppressing negative reviews through intimidation or selective publication (Federal Trade Commission, 2024). The group may ask all patients for honest reviews but may not offer rewards for positive ones or post only favorable comments on its website.
What Competitors Are Doing
The two newer dermatology groups advertise heavily for cosmetic services and skin checks, maintain polished location listings with dozens of photos and respond to every review within a day. Their ratings average 4.6 stars but come mostly from cosmetic patients, and several of their negative reviews describe difficulty reaching a physician rather than a physician assistant. Carolina Skin's advantage is the reverse: its patients see board-certified dermatologists for medical conditions, and its long-term patients describe relationships with their physicians. The plan should make that advantage visible rather than imitate competitors' cosmetic marketing.
Who Will Do the Work
A part-time digital marketing coordinator will manage listings, advertising and the newsletter, reporting to the practice administrator. The practice manager at each office will handle review responses using the approved wording. A dermatologist will review all education content monthly. Outside vendors will build the website but will not have access to patient records.
The Channel Plan
Education articles will be reviewed by a dermatologist for accuracy, and no content will promise results for cosmetic treatments.
| Channel | Purpose | Monthly budget |
|---|---|---|
| Location listings on search and maps | Accurate hours, photos, booking links for all six offices | $600 |
| Search advertising for condition terms | Reach patients searching for specific conditions | $6,500 |
| Website redesign and two-screen booking | Convert visitors into appointments | $2,000 for twelve months |
| Condition education articles | Answer common questions and improve search ranking | $1,800 |
| Post-visit review requests by text | Invite every patient to share honest feedback | $400 |
| Email newsletter for established patients | Skin cancer screening reminders and seasonal care | $300 |
The Review Response Policy
The practice manager will review all new reviews weekly. Positive reviews will receive a short thank-you that does not mention any visit details. Negative reviews will receive a reply such as: We are sorry to hear about this experience. We take feedback seriously and would welcome the chance to talk. Please call our patient experience line at the number on our website. Staff will never confirm that the reviewer was a patient, describe any care or argue with the reviewer. Complaints received by phone will be logged and analyzed monthly alongside online reviews.
Measures
The plan will track average rating and monthly review volume, the share of reviews mentioning waits or billing, search ranking for twelve condition terms, online booking conversion and new patients by source. The goal is a 4.4-star average and a return of online bookings to prior levels within twelve months.
Conclusion
Carolina Skin Associates' online reputation fell because patients waited longer and were surprised by bills, not because its care declined. Research shows that patients use ratings and that reviews reveal real experience. The plan fixes the causes first, then improves search, website and review practices within the limits set by privacy law and the FTC, and measures whether patients notice.
References
Federal Trade Commission. (2024). Trade regulation rule on the use of consumer reviews and testimonials, 16 C.F.R. pt. 465. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-465
Hanauer, D. A., Zheng, K., Singer, D. C., Gebremariam, A., & Davis, M. M. (2014). Public awareness, perception, and use of online physician rating sites. JAMA, 311(7), 734-735. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.283194
Ranard, B. L., Werner, R. M., Antanavicius, T., Schwartz, H. A., Smith, R. J., Meisel, Z. F., Asch, D. A., Ungar, L. H., & Merchant, R. M. (2016). Yelp reviews of hospital care can supplement and inform traditional surveys of the patient experience of care. Health Affairs, 35(4), 697-705. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1030
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Summary of the HIPAA privacy rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html
BUS 532 Module 6 instructions, in plain terms
Online channels and reviews now shape where patients book, so this part of BUS 532 has students plan both for one provider. The plan below joins digital channels and reputation in one document; your posted directions may divide them. Describe the organization's current digital presence with evidence, such as search rankings, website performance and reviews. Use research on how patients use online information. Identify the operational causes behind online complaints, since reputation reflects experience. Address legal and ethical limits, especially privacy rules and rules on reviews and endorsements. Set out channels, content and budget. Include a policy for responding to reviews and measures for tracking results.
How the BUS 532 Module 6 example is put together
The paper begins with Carolina Skin Associates, six offices and 1,240 online reviews averaging 4.0 stars, down from 4.5 two years earlier. Hanauer and colleagues' JAMA research letter reports national survey findings on rating site use. Ranard and colleagues' Health Affairs study of hospital reviews shows that online comments cover issues like cost and communication that standard surveys omit. The audit covers search rankings for common skin conditions, website speed and online booking, and a coding of 300 recent reviews, which finds waits and surprise bills behind most low ratings. A section explains that HIPAA's privacy rule bars confirming that a reviewer is a patient and that the FTC's 2024 rule bans fake and suppressed reviews. A channel table, a review request process, a response policy with sample wording and measures close the plan.
BUS 532 Module 6 rubric: what earns full marks
Digital and reputation papers in an MBA healthcare marketing course are marked on evidence about the current position, use of research on patient behavior online, attention to legal limits and a practical plan with measures. This example audits search, website and reviews with figures and codes a sample of reviews to find causes, which turns reputation into an operations question. Hanauer and colleagues' JAMA research letter and Ranard and colleagues' Health Affairs article support claims about how patients use and write reviews. The federal privacy rule summary published by HHS and the FTC's rule on consumer reviews, cited by its part of the Code of Federal Regulations, define what the group may and may not do. The response policy with sample wording shows the plan can be carried out by staff.
BUS 532 Module 6 help: mistakes that cost marks
The most common weakness in Module 6 is a digital plan that lists channels without evidence about the organization's current position or patients' behavior. Audit first. Another is treating online reputation as a messaging problem when reviews usually reflect real experiences; find and fix the causes. In health care, never recommend responses that confirm a reviewer is a patient or discuss their care, since privacy law forbids it. Do not suggest buying reviews, offering incentives only for positive ones or hiding negative ones; federal rules prohibit these practices. Keep content accurate and avoid unsupported claims about results. Include a budget and assign responsibility. Finally, define measures that show whether the plan works, such as new patient bookings from search and changes in review ratings.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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BUS 532 Module 6 questions, answered
What does BUS 532 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 532 covers digital marketing and online reputation in this module, so a plan for a health care organization's online channels and review management is typical. Check your classroom prompt.
Can a medical practice respond to online reviews?
Yes, but under HIPAA it must not confirm that the reviewer is a patient or disclose any health information; general, courteous responses that invite the person to call are safer.
Is it legal to ask patients for reviews?
Asking all patients for honest reviews is generally acceptable, but rewarding only positive reviews, writing fake ones or suppressing negative ones is prohibited by the FTC.
Where can I find a free BUS 532 Module 6 sample paper?
The full plan appears above: a dermatology group's digital audit, research on rating sites, HIPAA and FTC limits, a channel plan and a review response policy.
Do online reviews affect which doctors patients choose?
Survey research by Hanauer and colleagues found that a meaningful share of patients who used rating sites chose or avoided a physician based on ratings.