People find relief knowing that they could rate how doctors give them care online. However this can have an adverse effect also. Online ratings can be stressful for doctors.
For patients, knowing which doctors give good health care is essential. They could then go to doctors that they feel are reliable and would help in their ailment. Two such types of sites give doctor ratings. One of those is independent sites made by private companies. Another are health system sites. The two types give different ways on how to look at how doctors are rated by patients.
For independent sites, there are a few reviews on it for only a few physicians. Health system sites have a much broader range that give explanatory comments taken from health system patient surveys. Both ways can give a good indication on how patients see their doctors and what their experiences are.
A study has been made by Alison Holliday from Harvard Medical School on how such online ratings affect doctors. The team looked into doctors and patients from four hospitals through a large care organization in Massachusetts. For the survey there were 828 doctors and 494 patients.
Based on the study, around 53 percent of doctors say that they have read the comments made by patients. 39 percent of patients have also looked for comments and information about their doctors. The study has found that doctors in general weren't too enthusiastic about patients giving out information online, according to Science Daily.
Doctors also favor information from health system sites. Patients though rely more on information coming from independent sites, as Springer reports. The study has found that overall, doctors are stressed more about the ratings and comments made online. About 78 percent of doctors are worried about negative feedback made online. 46 percent of doctors say that this could also have an impact on their relationship with patients.
Knowing how doctors perform could give some comfort for patients. Doctors on the other hand are stressed by it. Online ratings can be stressful for doctors. A study has shown that depressed people can let go of unattainable goals better.
