Rating Doctors: A Rank Practice?
Reader Comments
Ratings a must
Though the opposition to the ratings are intense specially from the medical community, we should try to understand that this is service just like any other service and it is in the best intrests of the consumer that he gets to choose a doctor of his choice based on performance rather than referrals from his family and friends.
I had written a piece for an Indian Business daily the link to which is below
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/01/18/stories/2008011850180900.htm
Rating Doctors & Hospitals
I have been trying to find independent, objective information on several doctors recommended to me for knee relacement surgery. I have been searching the internet with little success other, at best, some cursory information. I plan to look at the web sites in the USA Today article but would appreciate the benefit of your homework and subsequent experience. Last, any comments on research reports that are available for a "fee", care they worth it, do they provide the details you want and need to make informed decisions or are they general in nature? Thanks for you input and guidance.
Richard. Thousand Oaks, CA
medical fraud and melpractice
i was injured at work while employed for the city of norfolk. the ist.doctor said to me, he didn't know if he can help me but he can get me a oscar for acting. then he refuse to see me.the the next doctor told me the bulging disc and the bone spur pressing on my spine was nothing.then said he was sending back to work as a truck mechanic,but refuse to sign my return to work slip required. that caused me to be charged with abanding my job, saying there was no medical reason for me to be out of work. i'm now a retiree as their medical approved my disabilty. it cost me 525.00 a month in pay. also i have deformity in my spinal cord at the same location(c-5-6)level
Vitals.com is good
I looked at the site recommended in the commentary thread - Vitals.com. Great site for thorough information on doctors (I learned a lot about my children's pediatrician) and I like how they do reviews and ratings.
Rating Physicians
I am not surprized that the president-elect, Nancy Nielsen, is less than enthusiastic about the rating of AMA members. The American Medical Association (AMA) is little more than a large labor union/user group that represents the interests, needs, and requirements of its members
-- first and foremost -- not patients. The customer/patient's total medical and administrative experience can be a powerful tool for consumers to evaluate, identify, and select a physician that fits their individual needs. A rating system is a great start!!!
Physician rating sites
It's concerning for any business with a fairly small customer base that ratings could easily be manipulated up or down by someone with an an interest in promoting or disparaging it. For that reason, I'm not sure I would trust star or numerical ratings for a physician, but I'd certainly want to read the comments.
Rating MD's
I'm concerned about this reporting because it's always one and not balanced at all, I understand about venting but I'm not so sure this is the right forum to do it. This has also to do with NON-CONPLIANT Patients, just because they often don't get what they want, they then bad mouth the Physician and ruin his/her reputation. I also understand that Physicians must explain the rational for every plan of care including Meds for each patient and if the patient does not understand the reason for a particular plan of care or a prescribed medication, then I strongly encourage that particular patient to be assertive in seeking the rational from the Physician and in the event that the patient does not understand then get a second opinion or write three or four most pressing question to your Doc on your next visit-remember the time constraints that Doc and patient encounter it's usually 20 min per visit and if the patient has multiple medical problem that's another ballgame- you simply don't have the time. Try Communication it's a two-way street, it'll decrease frustration and confusion-substantially.
A balanced view
Two levels of discernment happen when one reads reviews and opinions, online or off. The first is of the review content: is it plausible, balanced, intelligent and consistent? The second level is the judgment of the reviewer him/herself: does the reviewer sound thoughtful, knowledgeable, credible? As Michelle Andrews suggests, Internet users are experienced in evaluating the content they consume, and just as we have been taught “you can’t believe everything in print”, so do most understand that opinions online are user-generated content.
CareSeek, mentioned above, allows the reviewers to qualify themselves as Doctors/Providers, Nurses/Caregivers, or CareSeekers/Patients when they choose their member type. By allowing others to better understand the perspective with which their review was written, there can be a deeper appreciation of the content and of the reviewer’s point of view. The goal is to present a balanced viewpoint from all participants in the care team, nurses, patients and doctor commentary.
Evaluating a Dr.
We evaluate all kinds of services from a barber to a mechanic. Why should a Dr. be different?
Often it's about personalities. Hopefully a person should cocentrate on expertise and whether or not the Dr. gives a damn.
Having said that when a patient requests a medication and the Dr. says no they owe it to the patient to give a reason. Not just no. That's not good enough. If they don't answer such a question perhaps they don't know.
