Should Online Reviews Of Doctors And Hospitals Be Taken Seriously?

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

The internet gives people the opportunity to review their favorite restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Now doctors, hospitals, dentists and other health care providers can be reviewed in a similar fashion.

According to NPR, disgruntled patients are taking to the internet to slam incompetent health care providers.

By using review websites like Yelp, patients can comment on how terrible or great the services of specific hospitals and doctors are. A patient who left a review for a local Tampa Bay hospital wrote, “This is the worst hospital I have ever seen!” and “This place is a joke!” The reviewer then rated the hospital one star out of five, warning others to stay away.

Like restaurants and hotels, hospitals are expected to provide good service. In this case, services are far more important, with life-altering implications.

Can review websites serve a higher purpose by helping users find the best doctors and hospitals? Websites like Healthgrades.com let users review health care practitioners without comments. Users can rate doctors based on questions such as “What is your level of trust in this provider’s decisions?”

Are Online Reviews Of Doctors And Hospitals Accurate?

The American Medical Association (AMA) believes patients should discuss concerns with their doctors. The AMA claims many factors weigh into choosing a doctor. In other words, it is not like rating a local Denny’s.

Internet users may not always be correct and might have other motives for listing negative reviews. Several weeks ago, our blog listed information on how to pull official hospital and physician records, which may be a more reliable means of choosing the right health care provider.

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