Medical Ratings - How Useful Are They?

Oct 23
19:05

2010

Andrea Avery

Andrea Avery

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Medical ratings are now available online. For years, consumers have obtained reviews and ratings about every possible product and service that they could purchase. Just how useful are they?

mediaimage
Medical ratings which are posted online have become more common. In fact,Medical Ratings - How Useful Are They? Articles many individuals think that they are they best way to gather information about providers. Reviews of cars, appliances, movies and restaurants have been common practice for eons. A consumer is considered to be a wiser and savvier shopper if they have not purchased on impulse but rather have performed an extensive research search. With doctors, however, there are mixed opinions. Here are some things to think about in determining whether medical ratings are indeed useful:

Non-emotional slants are better:

Many doctors are unhappy with the current method of review. Let’s face it; medical practitioners are up on a pretty high pedestal and considered by many to be omniscient and nearly god-like. How dare we mere mortals offer up our opinions on their vast expertise? Well, there is some validity to this highly held opinion; they do save lives and are the cream of the crop in terms of human brain power. They have dedicated their lives to saving their fellow man.

On the other hand, they are also human and in turn lacking perfection. Isn’t it our right, as consumers to spout our opinions? Yes, it is, but the flip side of that coin is that it should be done in a responsible way. Postings should be thought about carefully before being placed before the viewing public. A responsible individual should weigh what they say and make certain that it is accurate, factual and not weighted by emotion. It should be journalistic in quality.

The more medical ratings the better:

It’s hard to get an overall view of a doctor’s quality if only a couple of postings are available. Look for sites that have a slew of ratings and read them all in order to have a broader base of knowledge.

Balanced views:

Some sites are utilizing scientific methods of gathering research in order to have a fair and balanced system to help both docs and patients. Check out the websites criteria for posting information and take it all into consideration. Make certain you’re reading information that was gathered appropriately.

Details not available in other ways:

A positive component of these online sources is that consumers are likely to be able to view information that they wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. While it’s important to screen out those tidbits which are either flowery praise or blatant anger, honest accounts of personal experiences whether they’re wonderful or sad are helpful in determining the quality of a health care practitioner.

Doctors talk back:

In many cases, doctors are allowed to post as well. This is a good way to get the other side of the story.

Anonymity can be a problem:

As in letters to editors of newspapers, signing one’s name to comments can help screen out those who would otherwise go on an anonymous rant. Posters might want to sign their names when submitting but could ask that they be hidden over the internet.

Medical ratings can help both doctors and patients if done in a well thought-out manner. With a bit of tweaking, it could end up being as common as reading up about an automobile’s reliability before making a purchase.

Article "tagged" as:

Categories: