Physician Rating Websites – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[MDsearch.com]

As a physician, you know that your reputation plays a critical role in the success of your medical practice, but you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what your patients say about you – good or bad. You strive to provide excellent patient care and hope your reputation will reflect your dedication. You can’t control what your patients will say, and until recently, you had no way of knowing how they might talk about you to their friends. But now, sites like RateMDs.com, Vitals.com, and Dr. Scorecard.com allow physicians to see exactly what their patients are saying, and in some cases, respond.

The rise of the interactive web combined with increasing expectations about healthcare has triggered an assortment of new websites where patients can go online to read and write reviews of individual physicians and healthcare facilities. While a positive review can be helpful, most of these sites allow people to post anonymously, which can potentially result in some very damaging and unwanted publicity.

While some physicians are suffering as a result of negative claims posted online, others are benefiting from positive reviews. In a recent article on Medscape.com [1], one physician reports receiving numerous referrals as a result of positive reviews on physician rating sites. He hasn't left it up to chance, however, the otolaryngologist actively assists patients in getting online so they can post a positive review.

With more than 40 sites available to rate physicians, the trend isn't disappearing anytime soon. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Consider the pros and cons:

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