To post a hospital review, share your context, describe specific care moments, rate the basics, and give clear, privacy-safe suggestions.
Writing a fair, useful take on a medical stay isn’t tricky when you know what readers, platforms, and care teams look for. This guide walks you through a simple, calm process: gather details, structure your notes, write with care, and publish in a way that helps others make a choice. You’ll get step-by-step prompts, examples, and ready-to-copy lines that keep the tone balanced and the facts tight.
How To Write A Hospital Review That Helps Others
Start with context, then move through the visit in the order it happened. Keep sentences short. Stick to what you saw, heard, and experienced. Avoid guessing at motives or sharing anyone else’s private details. End with one suggestion or praise point that a manager could act on next week.
Fast Prep: What To Collect Before You Write
- Visit basics: location, date range, unit or service (ER, labor & delivery, cardiology).
- Touchpoints: intake, nurses, doctors, tests, food, room, discharge, billing.
- Proof: times on discharge papers, names on badges, any written instructions.
- Boundaries: no photos of other patients; no private identifiers of staff or yourself you don’t want public.
First 10 Minutes: Build Your Outline
Open a draft and create five quick sections: Arrival, Care Team, Comfort, Information, Checkout. Drop bullet notes under each. When you post, you’ll turn those bullets into crisp sentences.
Common Topics Readers Care About
Public rating programs track many of the same basics people ask about. Hints from those programs can shape your outline: staff communication, timeliness, cleanliness, pain talk, and discharge clarity are frequent themes. Mention the ones you actually experienced and skip the rest. For a sense of the standard question areas in U.S. reporting, see the Medicare program for patient experience (“HCAHPS”) which lists nurse and doctor communication, staff responsiveness, room cleanliness and quiet, medicine explanations, and discharge steps.
| Element | What To Write | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Reason For Visit | Short, non-graphic line: “Scheduled knee repair,” “Overnight for observation.” | Sets context without sharing private medical history. |
| Arrival & Intake | Wait time, check-in clarity, ID wristband process. | Helps others plan timing and documents front-desk flow. |
| Nurse & Doctor Communication | Did staff introduce themselves, explain next steps, answer questions? | Signals trust and coordination. |
| Timeliness | Time to triage, time to tests, time to pain relief. | Shows pacing across a shift. |
| Comfort & Cleanliness | Room condition, noise at night, linen changes, hand hygiene you observed. | Reflects day-to-day standards on the unit. |
| Food & Amenities | Meal timing, temperature, menu fit for diet needs. | Covers basic living needs during a stay. |
| Discharge Instructions | Clarity of home care steps, who to call, follow-up info. | Shows how well the team sets patients up for the next days. |
| Billing Experience | Paperwork clarity, itemization, staff help finding codes. | Addresses a common pain point the public cares about. |
| Overall Rating | A plain 1–5 star or “would return / would not return.” | Gives a quick glance verdict for skimmers. |
| One Suggestion | One action the facility could take next week. | Constructive and easy for managers to route. |
Privacy And Platform Rules In Plain Terms
When you post on a big map or review site, your words live in public. Keep your note free of anyone’s private health details and free of staff personal info that doesn’t belong on the internet. If you include names, limit it to first names and roles shown on a badge.
What Public Programs Track
National surveys look at nurse and doctor communication, response time, cleanliness, quiet at night, medicine explanations, discharge, overall rating, and “would recommend.” That’s why those topics land well in consumer reviews too. You can see the survey overview on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services page for the patient experience program (HCAHPS survey domains).
What Review Platforms Allow
Public map and review tools ban fake content, hate speech, threats, profanity used to attack, and reviews with conflicts of interest. If your note breaks these rules, it may be hidden or removed. You can check the Google Maps user-generated content policy and the Yelp content guidelines for specifics on honesty, relevance, and private info limits.
Write Your Review Step By Step
1) Open With Context In One Line
Give the visit type and timing: “Two-night stay after surgery in April, orthopedics unit.” Skip graphic details or account numbers. This single line helps readers understand what your stay involved.
2) Describe Arrival And Intake
Mention wait time, signage, wheelchair access, and how ID and insurance were handled. Keep it factual: “Checked in at 9:05 a.m.; called at 9:20 a.m. for vitals.”
3) Cover Staff Communication
Say who explained what and how well you followed along: “Nurse Maya introduced herself, reviewed allergies, and explained the IV.” Share if questions were invited and answered in everyday language.
4) Note Timelines And Comfort
Give a sense of pacing: time from triage to tests, test to results, results to treatment. Share what the room felt like at night and whether cleaning rounds happened. Stick to what you observed.
5) Explain Pain Talk And Medicine Info
Did staff ask about pain levels? Did they explain side effects and who to call at home if symptoms change? Clear, simple descriptions here help readers gauge bedside care.
6) Share Discharge Clarity
State whether you left with written steps, phone numbers, and follow-up dates. If the after-visit summary was easy to read, say so. If one page was confusing, say which and why.
7) Close With One Suggestion Or Praise Point
Offer one direct fix or pat on the back: “Please dim hallway lights near rooms 412–420 after 10 p.m.” or “Big thanks to the night shift for checking on me without waking me fully.”
Tone That Gets Published
Use calm language. Avoid insults, threats, profanity, and medical guesses. Keep it about your own visit. If you flag a safety concern, describe the scene in neutral terms and share the action staff took. Most platforms reward balanced notes and hide rants.
What Not To Post
- Private health info about someone else.
- Photos of other patients or staff off duty.
- Payment or incentive claims without proof.
- Rumors about staffing levels or personal lives.
Short Templates You Can Copy
Balanced Praise
“Two-day stay for monitoring. Intake took 15 minutes. Nurse team explained every step and checked pain often. Room was fresh and quiet at night. Clear discharge pages. I’d return to this unit.”
Fair Critique
“Walk-in visit for sudden pain. Triage was quick, but radiology wait stretched to three hours with no updates. Once seen, the PA explained results clearly and set a plan. The waiting area could use more chairs.”
Mixed Experience
“Admitted for delivery. L&D nurses were calm and steady; lactation consult was great. Nighttime hallway noise made sleep tough. Discharge packet covered meds well, but follow-up phone number was missing. Overall, care felt safe; a few small fixes would help.”
When And Where To Post
Pick one or two spots where locals search often. Map listings reach the widest crowd, while niche health review sites serve smaller regions. If you share the same review in multiple places, keep the wording consistent and correct typos before you paste.
How Long Your Review Should Be
Aim for 120–250 words. That length fits on a phone screen and still allows details on staff, timing, and instructions. If you need more room for a complex stay, split into short paragraphs with headings such as “Arrival,” “Care,” and “Checkout.”
Star Ratings And Photos
Pick a star count that matches the text. A three-star note with balanced pros and cons can be more helpful than a five-star cheer with no details. If you upload photos, limit them to rooms, signs, parking, or public areas, never faces or charts.
Make Your Comments Actionable
Managers scan reviews for fixes they can route. Actionable lines name a location and behavior: “Hand sanitizer empty at CT entrance at 7 a.m.” beats “Hygiene seemed off.” If you praise, tag the shift or team: “Day shift, room 532, explained pain plan well.” These small touches help the right people see your note.
Fairness And Balance
A tough night can color a whole stay. Before you post, scan your draft for balance. If one team member stood out, mention them. If one system slowed care, say that too. Balanced reviews tend to stay up longer and get more “helpful” clicks.
Useful Mid-Article References
If you want a sense of what professionals track in patient experience, skim the CMS page on the national survey domains (HCAHPS survey domains). Posting on a map listing? Review the Google Maps content policy so your note stays live. Both links open in a new tab.
Polite Contact With The Facility (Optional)
Some platforms let you send a message to the business page. Keep any message short and neutral. Avoid sharing private health details on public threads. If you received written instructions on how to reach the patient relations office, that inbox is better for a longer note about billing, records, or follow-up scheduling. You may also request your records through the federal right of access rules, which are explained on the U.S. health department site (HIPAA right of access).
| Situation | Prompt To Use | One-Line Example |
|---|---|---|
| Long ER Wait | “State arrival time, update gaps, and final outcome.” | “Arrived 6:40 p.m.; triage 7:05; doctor 10:15; care was thorough once seen.” |
| Outstanding Nurse | “Name first name and shift, plus what they did that helped.” | “Carlos on nights explained meds and checked pain every hour.” |
| Noisy Floor | “Say when noise peaked and what kind.” | “Hallway chatter near room 418 past midnight made sleep tough.” |
| Clear Discharge | “Note the packet and follow-up steps.” | “Printed steps and a phone number made home care easy.” |
| Billing Confusion | “State which form, who helped, and if you got an itemized copy.” | “Billing desk walked me through codes and printed an itemized bill.” |
| Cleanliness Win | “Point to daily rounds and specifics.” | “EVS stopped twice a day; room and bathroom stayed spotless.” |
Template: Turn Notes Into A Polished Post
Copy this block and swap in your details. Keep each sentence direct and verifiable.
“Three-night stay for observation on the cardiac unit in June. Check-in took 10 minutes and staff guided me to the unit. Nurses introduced themselves each shift and explained every test. Doctor visits happened daily, with time for questions. Room was tidy; nights were quiet except for a brief alarm near 3 a.m. Food arrived on schedule and matched my diet. Discharge packet listed meds and a direct phone line. I’d return to this unit. One fix: more updates during imaging delays would ease stress.”
Publishing And Following Up
Before you click post, run a quick pass for names, dates, and any private data you don’t want online. If a platform flags your review, check whether it cites language, conflicts, or private info. Edit and resubmit if needed. Many sites also show a “Was this helpful?” button; clear, balanced notes tend to attract those clicks, which keeps your review visible.
Final Tips And A Quick Recap
- Lead with context, not medical details.
- Stick to what you saw and heard.
- Cover staff talk, timing, cleanliness, and discharge.
- Finish with one clear suggestion or one strong praise point.
- Link your words to action: places, times, and roles.
One Last Example: Short Version For Map Apps
“Walk-in ER visit on a Sunday evening. Triage fast; imaging took longer with limited updates. Nurse Jen and PA Malik explained results and pain plan clearly. Room and restroom were clean. Discharge sheet was easy to follow. Would return; more status updates during waits would help.”