When people rate doctors, they can let others know of a physician that they think provides excellent patient services.
It also gives patients unhappy with their experience with a physician a way to vent their frustration.
Sites that rate doctors are becoming increasingly popular on the Internet.
However, most sites allow patients to post anonymous ratings and comments so you have to be careful when looking at rating sites.
If the site only has one of two ratings for a doctor, be careful.
You are basing your decision on one of two people's opinion.
It is like asking a friend who had a bad experience with surgery about the procedure.
He is going to give you all the negatives and none of the positives.
If you are going to look at a doctor's rating before scheduling an appointment, make sure the ratings page you are checking has several ratings and comments for a doctor.
That way you are not having one person's opinion skew your perception of a physician.
If the site you check has only one of two people commenting about a doctor, check another broader-based ratings page for comparison before making your final decision.
When a number of ratings are given for a doctor in a short period of time, some ratings sites make you register, feeling that something fishy may be going on with the ratings.
Some sites also require registration if peculiar rating activity occurs with a certain doctor.
Some of the rating sites have individuals on board with medical backgrounds so they can understand patient's conditions, symptoms and complaints.
Others shy away from such individuals because of potential conflicts of interests in that they are part of the medical community.
Most rating sites are free of charge, getting advertising to help cover costs of the operation.
Check the advertisers on the site.
Do medical practitioners advertise in the site? Would there be a reason for the ratings site to want favorable ratings for certain doctors? These are things you need to consider when putting stock in information you are pulling from rating sites.
Certain smaller or newer websites may not have certain practices listed because no one has commented on that doctor yet.
The only information to really take from that is that no patients have commented and not that patients are uneasy to comment about the doctor.
If you check a site and don't see the doctor you want information about listed, go to a different site.
There are plenty out there.
If a person has a serious issue with a doctor, the individual is better going to that state's medical board and filing a complaint with that board rather than pounding the physician on a ratings site.
Filing such a complaint can lead to a hearing and possible disciplinary action against a doctor if the case evidence is strong enough.
Many ratings sites have links to state medical boards to determine if the doctor you are considering has faced any disciplinary action or been the subject of any hearings.
If you need to rate doctors, consider all of this information.
It also gives patients unhappy with their experience with a physician a way to vent their frustration.
Sites that rate doctors are becoming increasingly popular on the Internet.
However, most sites allow patients to post anonymous ratings and comments so you have to be careful when looking at rating sites.
If the site only has one of two ratings for a doctor, be careful.
You are basing your decision on one of two people's opinion.
It is like asking a friend who had a bad experience with surgery about the procedure.
He is going to give you all the negatives and none of the positives.
If you are going to look at a doctor's rating before scheduling an appointment, make sure the ratings page you are checking has several ratings and comments for a doctor.
That way you are not having one person's opinion skew your perception of a physician.
If the site you check has only one of two people commenting about a doctor, check another broader-based ratings page for comparison before making your final decision.
When a number of ratings are given for a doctor in a short period of time, some ratings sites make you register, feeling that something fishy may be going on with the ratings.
Some sites also require registration if peculiar rating activity occurs with a certain doctor.
Some of the rating sites have individuals on board with medical backgrounds so they can understand patient's conditions, symptoms and complaints.
Others shy away from such individuals because of potential conflicts of interests in that they are part of the medical community.
Most rating sites are free of charge, getting advertising to help cover costs of the operation.
Check the advertisers on the site.
Do medical practitioners advertise in the site? Would there be a reason for the ratings site to want favorable ratings for certain doctors? These are things you need to consider when putting stock in information you are pulling from rating sites.
Certain smaller or newer websites may not have certain practices listed because no one has commented on that doctor yet.
The only information to really take from that is that no patients have commented and not that patients are uneasy to comment about the doctor.
If you check a site and don't see the doctor you want information about listed, go to a different site.
There are plenty out there.
If a person has a serious issue with a doctor, the individual is better going to that state's medical board and filing a complaint with that board rather than pounding the physician on a ratings site.
Filing such a complaint can lead to a hearing and possible disciplinary action against a doctor if the case evidence is strong enough.
Many ratings sites have links to state medical boards to determine if the doctor you are considering has faced any disciplinary action or been the subject of any hearings.
If you need to rate doctors, consider all of this information.
SHARE
