Doctor reviews? Yes, some of us even choose our doctors that way. Is it a good approach? Can doctor reviews be trusted or is there reason to be skeptical? Maybe choosing our doctor the same way we choose a pizza place isn’t optimal.
What Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Really Need in a Rheumatologist
Typically, people with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are referred to a rheumatologist by their primary physician. A rheumatologist is a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. While that initial referral sets the stage for the first encounter between a patient and the specialist, it is not unusual for a patient to move on to another doctor at some point, for various reasons, including to obtain a second opinion.
Desirable Criteria for a Rheumatologist
When looking for a rheumatologist, you want a doctor with excellent diagnostic skills and knowledge of the newest and best treatment options. You want evidence of solid credentials and no history of problems or malpractice. It is a necessity for the doctor to accept your insurance and a plus if their location is convenient. Beyond that, other positives include an efficient office staff, a pleasant and friendly demeanor attributable to both the doctor and staff, and an acceptable wait time when scheduling appointments and during appointments. Where and how do we find everything we need and want in our doctor?
What You Will Find by Searching Online Doctor Reviews
It has become increasingly popular to search online doctor reviews when looking for a new doctor. Just be sure it isn’t the only source you use. The reviews you find may not be trustworthy. They may be skewed. Ratings can be deceptive, too, especially when they are based on low numbers of reviews.
What the Research Says About Online Doctor Reviews
Consider a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in May 2018, in which Cedars-Sinai researchers accessed reviews from October 2014 to March 2017 on Healthgrades, a website that rates medical providers from 1 to 5 stars. The researchers linked the Healthgrades data to providers listed in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician Compare tool, then narrowed the field down to 212,933 providers who had at least four reviews evaluating overall patient satisfaction. They grouped the providers according to medical, surgical, and allied health specialties. Next, they performed a statistical analysis for the purpose of evaluating the distribution of the average satisfaction scores. Study results revealed overall satisfaction ratings consistently skewed positively, fell within narrow ranges, and had different distributions across various specialties. Researchers concluded that scores appearing high might actually be comparatively average or low, thereby misleading patients.
Most Online Reviews or Ratings Are Subjective
We know that doctor reviews that appear on websites such as Healthgrades, Zocdoc, RateMDs, Vitals, and other popular sites are subjective. Reviews on these third-party sites mostly evaluate a doctor’s bedside manner, their availability, and how their office is run. Few to no comments address a doctor’s credentials, skills, professionalism, ability as a diagnostician, and their knowledge of and participation in the latest research. Also remember that the criteria you consider important for what makes a good doctor may be different from that of the reviewer.
Do the Online Reviews Represent the Doctor’s Patients?
There is no way to know if what you read online really represents the majority of a doctor’s patients. It could be argued that patients from the ends of the spectrum, disgruntled patients and extremely satisfied patients, are more likely to post a review. In many cases, the majority lies in the middle, and they are not usually motivated to write a review and therefore are not represented.
Patient Satisfaction Surveys vs. Doctor Reviews
Since doctors and health institutions cannot control the use of online reviews, some health systems such as Cleveland Clinic, Stanford Health Care, and the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics have started to post ratings and results from their own patient satisfaction surveys. Medicare is setting up a system that will evaluate doctors on 144 quality standards and make those findings available to the public. Better and more usable information is coming.
One Patient’s Perspective on Online Doctor Reviews
“I think online reviews of doctors have a limited benefit,” says Rebecca L., of Little River, South Carolina, who has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for more than 20 years. “I start with that resource, but if I can ask someone I know, that is my preference. So many reviews are posted by people with an ax to grind, so I might only be seeing one or a few bad experiences that might not be indicative of an overall problem. At least when I know the source of the recommendation, I can judge whether that person is generally levelheaded. I found my current rheumatologist by asking for recommendations from my neighbors via a neighborhood Facebook page.”
One Rheumatologist’s Perspective on Online Doctor Reviews
Scott Zashin, MD, a rheumatologist in Dallas, offered this comment, “One should not evaluate a doctor based on one or two bad reviews. On the other hand, if the majority of the reviews point out the same flaw, then it might be a red flag.” In addition, Dr. Zashin notes “I will sometimes get a negative review from a person due to the fact that I do not participate with their insurance, even though they never came to see me.”
What About Referring Patients to Other Doctors?
“If I don’t know a doctor personally, I base my decision to refer a patient on the doctor’s training, their website, and reviews from all sources,” Zashin says. “One good source is Best Doctors in America (previously published by Woodward/White). They base their selections on the recommendations of other specialists.”
The Takeaway Regarding Rheumatologist Online Reviews
Online doctor reviews have limited value for the reasons described and should not be your sole resource when searching for a doctor or specialist. Use the reviews, if you choose to, but do so with a cautious eye. Take what you find and dig deeper.
