Doctor Ratings

By Quinn Phillips The Internet has enabled many forms of communication that were not previously possible, to the displeasure, no doubt, of many people. But few people would argue against the benefits of one application of the Internet: sharing ratings and reviews of products and services. From product reviews on retail sites like Amazon.com to sites like Yelp and Angie's List that are dedicated to ratings and reviews, consumers can access more information with the click of a mouse than most people could have imagined 20 years ago. Some people are still wary, however, of using the Internet to rate doctors. After all, the doctor–patient relationship tends to be more complex, and require significantly more trust and intimacy, than the relationship between a mechanic and a car owner. And according to a survey conducted earlier this year, among those most suspicious of doctor ratings are many doctors. Conducted by the American College of Physician Executives, the survey of 730 of the group's members — doctors with leadership and managerial roles — was developed to gauge their feelings about Web sites like Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com, which are dedicated to rating doctors, as well as more general sites that cover doctors. According to a press release on the survey, only 12% of respondents indicated that they found online patient reviews to be helpful. Twenty-nine percent responded that patients don't use them enough for them to make much of a difference, while...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs