Dive Brief:
- Given how popular online physician rating websites are, some doctors have decided to take control of the situation and actively encourage patients to comment, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- About 40 to 50 sites, including Healthgrades, RateMDs.com and Vitals, are set up to allow patients to rate or write reviews of their doctors. And patients use them — a recent JAMA study found that 25% of 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed said they'd consulted a physician rating site, with more than 33% saying that ratings played a role in which physicians they chose.
- In response, some doctors have decided to embrace ratings sites by encouraging patients to post about their experiences, monitoring physician review sites and addressing negative comments directly, the WSJ notes.
Dive Insight:
In the past, physicians have dealt with doctor rating sites by hoping the reviews were good and occasionally suing patients who made very negative comments online. This strategy has not been successful, as doctors can't possibly control what's being said on 40 to 50 sites, around the clock and across the Web. Instead, embracing the sites can actually build their business, according to one medical group CEO who spoke to the WSJ.