Before using physician ratings when choosing a doctor, make sure you understand what they mean. You should learn how to interpret the information correctly and what algorithm the website uses to figure the scores.
Physician ratings websites give patients a place to post information about their visit to a doctor with a score for the care and attention they received. These websites can be an invaluable resource when you are in the search for a new doctor,
and they also give you a place to let other patients know about your favorite doctor. If you are going to use these scores when choosing a doctor, make sure you understand exactly what you can learn from them.
Interpret the Information Correctly
Like all review websites, sites that post physician ratings have the potential to be misused by disgruntled patients and even the doctors themselves. The anonymity found on the World Wide Web makes it almost impossible to verify that someone posting a review was, in fact, a patient of a particular doctor. An unscrupulous doctor could hire people to falsely advertise for his or her services, or an unjustly angry patient could post multiple negative reviews.
For this reason, you must view this patient-generated feedback as part of the whole picture when choosing a doctor. Good scores are a plus in favor of a particular doctor, but they should not be the final deciding factor you use.
Understand What The Scores Mean
Many physician ratings are made entirely of patient feedback, but not all of them. Some websites set up an algorithm that calculates a score based solely on the doctor’s education and other credentials. Other websites use a combination of patient scoring and credentials to rate doctors. Before you decide how much weight to place on a scoring system, make sure you understand how it is coming up with the scores shown.
If the scoring system utilizes the doctor’s credentials, you may find it worthwhile to learn how the site is updated. If your doctor attends a seminar or furthers his or her education, how is the review site told about these additional credentials? It may take a while for this information to show up on the website.
Similarly, if the rating system focuses on patient feedback, it may not be as accurate as you might think. A patient who is accusing a doctor of malpractice may come to the site and give a scalding negative review, yet the malpractice case may be settled long before that review is countered or removed from the site.
Take Time to Read Reviews
If the physician ratings website you have chosen offers patient-written reviews, take the time to read them. This may give you greater insight into the doctor’s professionalism than a numbered score. You may find that you resonate with something that one or two patients say about the doctor, and that fact will help you make the decision as to which doctor is right for your care.
The key to using physician ratings well is understanding how they are found and what they really score. When you need to choose a doctor, these scores can be an invaluable tool, if you know how to read them. Take the time to find a few sources of these scores before you choose your next medical professional.
