Patients for years have vented about rude doctors or long waits for appointments. But patients increasingly aren’t just trading the information across the back fence or over the phone. A growing number of Web sites are giving consumers a chance to rate physicians and share opinions. Sites such as RateMDs.com and Vitals.com let people rate doctors on numbered scales on such measures as punctuality, bedside manner and quality of diagnosis. RateMDs.com, for example, has a five-point system, with five being the best. Patients also can post anonymous comments. Most are positive, such as those for a Nebraska doctor that described him as caring, knowledgeable and reassuring. Some are not-so-nice. Comments for an Iowa doctor included: “Would never use this doctor again. Nearly killed me.” And a posting for one Nebraska physician warned: “Do Not See This Doctor!” Consumer groups and patients say the sites, though not perfect, can provide additional help finding the best doctor. Some doctors and the American Medical Association, however, are concerned about fairness. Dr. R. Samuel Bryant, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Lincoln, said it’s impossible to determine if comments are from real patients. A posting from last year attached to a “Dr. Samuel Bryant” of Lincoln said that he performed a “horrible breast reduction” and that more than a year later, pain still occurred. If the comment is from a patient, Bryant said he would be “disappointed that someone would choose to leave a negative comment rather than get the issue resolved.” Bryant said that in his 20 years of medical practice, he has performed several thousand successful operations, and he hopes prospective patients wouldn’t judge him — or other doctors — based on an anonymous comment. Even RateMDs.com advises users to take the ratings with “a grain of salt.” The site also says: “Remember, we have no way of knowing who is doing the rating — the doctor, other doctors, patients, dogs, cats, etc.” Dr. David Filipi, an official with the Nebraska Medical Association, said family and friends are a better source for advice when picking a doctor. The American Medical Association says negative comments and ratings might be based on conditions out of a doctor’s control. A patient, for example, might be mad that a medical service was denied by an insurance company.
Please click on the link below to read the Omaha World Herald article:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10348859
For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.
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