Dr reviews: Finding the right fit

The Yellow Pages gained popularity in the 1970s with the slogan “Let your fingers do the walking,” getting people to use the telephone directory to find what they needed. Fast forward nearly 40 years, and people are still letting their fingers do the walking, but in ways that don't even consider picking up a land line telephone.

Through smart phones and Internet access, people have a world of information at their fingertips. A growing trend is people's use of information to pick a doctor. Whether you need an allergist or an urologist or any doctor in between, you can find out about potential choices via the Internet. It is not just the basic information that doctors provide on their own or hospital websites that people are turning to, but the information provided on review and rating sites. Dr reviews, where you can see what other people are saying about a particular doctor or medical group, are vital information for many people looking to find a physician.

With databases of hundreds of thousands of physicians, rating and review sites can be a valuable asset for anyone looking for a new doctor. Whether proximity, a doctor's specialty, his or her bedside demeanor or the average wait time is your primary concern, you can get information on physicians in your area with dr reviews. You get firsthand knowledge from people who have gone to this physician. Learn his of her strengths and weaknesses and whether this doctor is a good fit with you. Most sites allow you to search by state or more specific regions, such as by ZIP code. There is also the option on most sites to search by a certain specialty so you do not have to wade through a ton of doctors in a metropolitan area if you are only looking for physicians in a certain specialty.

And databases continue to grow with new information added about doctors as patients' need for information grows. Anyone with a positive or negative comment about a doctor can find a place to vent his or her feelings. Because information continues to pour into sites, people looking for a physician should check out a review website more than once to see what people are saying about the doctor or his staff. You may want to check a couple different doctor review sites, especially if the site you are checking only has one or two ratings for a physician. You want to get a decent sampling so you know you are not swayed by one or two disgruntled patients.

Many of the doctor review sites also provide health information, giving advice on diet and exercise, as well as health tests that should not be put off. Doctors and other health experts share their knowledge on these sites and can help boost individuals' knowledge on health issues.

Some physicians have balked at sites allowing people to comment about care they receive, especially when some sites allow anonymous postings. Many sites however don't allow anonymous postings and some sites allow doctors the opportunity to respond to damaging remarks about them.