Is Posting A Doctor Rating A Good Idea?

Posting a doctor rating can be helpful to others if it’s done appropriately. There are lots of physicians out there in the world who would rather their patients not spout off about their medical experiences over the internet. On the flip side, however, some docs think that patients have a right to spread the word, positive or negative. Giving one’s opinion or description of a medical experience can be helpful to prospective patients if a few key ingredients make up the review. Here are some things to think about:

Fact not rant: It’s important that individuals think it through as far as factual information goes before posting their opinion. If someone has had one minor unfortunate experience, such as a lengthy waiting room sit-in, or their normally kind doctor was snippy, they might not want to overreact and post a negative commentary. Let’s face it; everyone has a bad day sometimes. If the MD tried their best in a difficult situation and an unsuccessful result still occurred, the patient should probably wait a bit before hitting the keyboard. Asking oneself what would have occurred if they’d gone to twenty other doctors will give a bit of perspective. If the same result would have happened with most MDs, it’s not fair to publicly declare their practitioner’s incompetence. Ranting isn’t helpful; facts are.

Signing one’s name: The most reputable sites will not print a doctor rating anonymously. This is the same as writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper. If a person wants to spout their opinion in print, they should own it with a signature. While a commenter’s name and contact information will not appear publicly, the site should ensure that it’s a legitimate person and opinion. This eliminates possibilities of pranks or mud-slinging by competitors.

Some docs require patients to sign a release: Yes, it’s true. Many doctors are now having patients sign a release stating that they won’t post stories about their medical experiences online. This might not seem fair to many people; we are Americans who were raised with “free speech” rights and privileges. Signing away our “rights” may feel like sacrilege. In the medical practitioners’ defense, however, not every patient is as level headed as the next person. One nut case could ruin a competent doctor’s practice just because they’re unhappy with their perception of what happened. As with everything in life, there are always two sides to a story. If a physician asks their patients to sign the release, it’s up to the individual to decide if this is a practice he or she wants to trust with their health and well being.

If an individual wants to post a review of their medical experiences, as long as they are fair minded and well intentioned, it’s probably a good idea. As long as they choose a doctor rating website that has the reputation for being accurate and who doesn’t allow anonymity in posters, it can be a good idea all around.