By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
    February 6, 2023
    Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
    February 5, 2023
    Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
    February 4, 2023
    4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
    February 5, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Health Insurance For Same Sex Couples
    February 11, 2012
    Racial Health Disparities Among People with Chronic Conditions in the US: Facts and Statistics
    July 25, 2013
    Drug Testing for Welfare Benefits? Two Sides to the Issue
    March 16, 2022
    Latest News
    Why Is a Referenced Based Pricing Tool Necessary?
    February 3, 2023
    Simplifying the Genetic Testing Process: How At-Home Kits are Changing the Game
    January 25, 2023
    9 Hospitals That Have Introduced Green Initiatives
    February 1, 2023
    Why a Health Retreat Can Be the Best Medicine
    January 12, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Do Physician Rating Sites Make the Grade? Find a Doctor on Angie’s List
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Latest News
meditation retreat
What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
Health
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Career
Botanical Extracts
Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
Health
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Health
common misconseptions about brain injuries
4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
Health
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > Do Physician Rating Sites Make the Grade? Find a Doctor on Angie’s List
eHealthSocial Media

Do Physician Rating Sites Make the Grade? Find a Doctor on Angie’s List

Michael Kirsch
Last updated: 2014/01/06 at 9:00 AM
Michael Kirsch
Share
1 Min Read
physician rating sites
SHARE
I’ve never logged onto Angie’s List, but I might be on it.  Physicians are now routinely rated on various internet sites that the public can view before making appointments, or just as a parlor game.  You can look up doctors just as you would check ratings on toaster ovens, snow blowers, cars and restaurants.
 
Are these sites truly useful?
 
Can a grading site inform the public about a physician’s medical quality?
I’ve never logged onto Angie’s List, but I might be on it.  Physicians are now routinely rated on various internet sites that the public can view before making appointments, or just as a parlor game.  You can look up doctors just as you would check ratings on toaster ovens, snow blowers, cars and restaurants.
 
Are these sites truly useful?
 
Can a grading site inform the public about a physician’s medical quality?
 
Can a visitor to the site be confident that the view expressed is true and objective?
 
I’m skeptical.
 
physician rating sites
Easier to rate a fridge than a doc
 
I’ve thought deeply on the issue of medical quality since I was a medical intern in 1985.  Indeed, it was my preoccupation with this subject that led to the birth of this blog years ago.  Review the blog’s categories at the right of your screen and note how many labels include the term ‘quality’.   A recurrent theme here is how difficult it is to measure medical quality, even for medical insiders who know the blood and guts of the business.  Pay-for-Performance is an example of the government’s feeble effort to measure medical quality.  I have devoted several posts to exposing this sham and explaining its systemic flaws.
 
If physicians and health care experts can’t define and measure medical quality, then I am deeply skeptical that on-line rating sites can succeed where the medical profession has failed.  That this sites are filled with advertising communicates that their true mi$$ion may be unstated.
 
Nevertheless, these programs are here to stay and we can expect more competitors to materialize.  Let’s face it.  The public loves rating everything.  Each year, parents of high-schoolers race for the U.S. News and World Report annual college ratings, even though seasoned educators know that this is a poor resource for choosing quality higher education.   Throughout the country, there are lists of our best doctors, hospitals, athletes, musicians and chefs.   Sometimes, these lists defy logic.  How many #1 cardiologists can one city have?
 
Just ‘google’ the phrase ‘list of the 100 best…’, and see what pops up.
 
Doctor rating sites are likely to be sites where disgruntled patients express themselves.  This creates an indelible stain on a doctor’s reputation who cannot expunge the false claim.   It is well accepted that dissatisfied customers are more likely to speak out, which creates an unbalanced record of performance for doctors and various businesses.  I acknowledge that some on line criticisms may be valid, but others may false and defamatory.  How can a reader discern the truth? 
 
Consider the following hypothetical criticisms:
 
Keep away from this doctor.  He’s only in it for the money.
Perhaps, this is a patient who wouldn’t pay his bill.
 
I’ve never seen a doctor so insensitive to my pain.  After seeing him, I had to go to the emergency room for some relief.
Perhaps, this a patient who demanded narcotics, and the doctor declined to accommodate this request.
 
Warning!  This doc is in the pocket of insurance companies.  He was pushing me to try a different medication.
Perhaps, this patient was offered an inexpensive alternative that was medically equivalent.
 
Remember, one thing that on-line grading sites do not offer is both sides of the story.  Readers are counseled to assume there is another side, which may be where the truth lies.
 
New companies are emerging that promise to combat on-line attacks against physicians and others.  A component of their strategies is to encourage favorable comments to be added to the sites to provide balance and to suggest that a negative comment is an outlier.  All this sounds more like a game to me than true quality assessment.
 
Who’s grading the grading sites?  Will Angie take this on?

TAGGED: physician rating sites

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Michael Kirsch January 6, 2014
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article checklist for excellence and success Online Patient Reviews: Power, Influence and Muscle to Grow Even Bigger
Next Article increased ER visits Is Our Medicaid System Vulnerable to Collapse in 2014?

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

meditation retreat
What To Expect On A Meditation Retreat In Miami
Health February 6, 2023
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Guide To Pursuing a Career in Nursing as a Foreigner in the USA
Career February 5, 2023
Botanical Extracts
Botanical Extracts That Should be on Your Health Radar
Health February 5, 2023
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Navigating Medical Care as a Wheelchair User
Health February 4, 2023

You Might also Like

healthcare video marketing
MarketingSocial Media

How to Maintain a Successful YouTube Channel as a Healthcare Organization: Advantages of Video Marketing for your Medical Practice

November 9, 2022
Electronic Health Records
BusinesseHealthHospital AdministrationMedical Records

Top Benefits of Electronic Health Records for Psychiatrists and Psychologists

August 15, 2022
tips to design a health app
eHealth

How To Improve Patient Access Metrics

April 5, 2022
social media addiction is harming teenage mental health
eHealthMental HealthSocial Media

5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health

April 4, 2022
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?