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Key Differences Explained
Curious how Rater8 differs from Swell? If you are evaluating healthcare review and feedback platforms, the differences go beyond star ratings. Below are the most important questions practices ask when comparing Swell and Rater8, along with clear explanations of where each platform fits.
This comparison focuses on how each system collects feedback, how it triggers outreach, and what happens after responses are received.
What is the difference between Swell and Rater8?
- The primary difference is scope.
- Swell is designed to capture patient experiences at scale and turn that feedback into action. Rater8 is primarily designed to collect and publish patient ratings.
- Swell focuses on volume, personalization, automation, and operational follow-through. Rater8 focuses on provider ratings and public review visibility.
Which platform generates more patient feedback?
- Swell typically generates significantly more patient feedback than Rater8.
- Swell achieves review conversion rates in the range of 7 to 8 percent by using real-time triggers and highly personalized outreach. Rater8 conversion rates are generally closer to 1 percent due to more static, post-visit email campaigns.
- Higher feedback volume allows Swell users to identify trends, spot issues faster, and make data-driven improvements.
How do Swell and Rater8 trigger review requests?
- Swell uses real-time, event-based automation.
- Review and feedback requests are triggered by live EHR events, allowing outreach to occur closer to the actual patient experience. This timing improves relevance and response rates.
- Rater8 primarily relies on scheduled or delayed post-visit emails, which can reduce engagement and limit contextual relevance.
Does Swell offer more personalization than Rater8?
- Yes. Swell offers significantly deeper personalization.
- Swell review requests can reference the specific provider, procedure, visit type, and timing of care. This context makes requests feel relevant and intentional.
- Rater8 typically collects doctor-level ratings without visit-specific context, limiting personalization and insight depth.
What happens after feedback is collected?
- This is one of the biggest differences between the two platforms.
- Swell includes closed-loop actioning. Feedback can automatically generate tickets or workflow items so teams can respond, resolve issues, and improve processes.
- Rater8 focuses on reporting and display of ratings. It does not include built-in workflow or operational actioning tied to feedback.
Which platform provides better insights for improving patient experience?
- Swell provides deeper and more actionable insights.
- Because Swell captures higher volumes of feedback with richer context, practices can analyze sentiment, identify recurring issues, and track performance trends over time.
- Lower feedback volume and limited context in Rater8 can make it harder to extract meaningful operational insights.
Is Swell only for reviews?
- No. Swell is broader than review collection.
- In addition to online reviews, Swell supports patient experience surveys, employee engagement feedback, and internal insights that help healthcare organizations improve care delivery, retention, and operations.
- Rater8 is primarily focused on patient ratings and online reputation display.
When might Rater8 be a better fit than Swell?
- Rater8 may be a fit for practices that only need basic provider ratings and public review visibility, with minimal need for automation, workflow, or operational follow-through.
- Practices looking to actively improve patient experience, increase feedback volume, and turn insights into action typically benefit more from Swell.
Bottom Line: Swell vs. Rater8
- Rater8 helps practices collect and display ratings. Swell helps practices understand experiences and improve outcomes.
- For healthcare organizations that want more feedback, better insights, and real operational impact, Swell offers a more comprehensive experience management approach.
