The last time I gave the talk, "Help! I’ve Been Yelped!" to physicians, there was a full house, a sometimes defiant, sometimes incredulous but always engaged full house. Most physicians don’t like Yelp and other online doctor rating sites because of the potential for negative reviews.
In past columns, I’ve written about these sites and how to respond to negative reviews and comments. Now, I’m going to share data on the use of online reviews and why they are important.
We live in a digital world that values reviews. We compare hotels on TripAdvisor.com before booking them and read reviews on Amazon.com before ordering products. We "like" or "dislike" Facebook pages and give thumbs up or thumbs down to videos on YouTube. We even rate physicians’ comments on medical question-and-answer sites such as HealthTap.com.
But how much do all of these online ratings really matter? A 2012 Nielsen report that surveyed more than 28,000 Internet users in 56 countries found that online consumer reviews are the second-most-trusted source of brand information, following only recommendations from family and friends. In other words, we trust online reviews and use them to make our own decisions.
The same is true when it comes to shopping for a doctor. According to an Internet-based survey of 2,137 adults published in the February issue of JAMA, 59% of respondents said that online doctor ratings were either "somewhat important" or "very important" when choosing a physician (2014;11:734-5).
Similarly, the "2013 Industry View Report" by Software Advice found that 62% of respondents said they read online reviews when seeking a new doctor. Although HealthGrades.com was the most commonly used site, Yelp.com was the most trusted. Forty-four percent of those respondents considered Yelp the most trustworthy review site followed by Health Grades (31%), Vitals.com (17%), and ZocDoc.com (7%).
Whether or not we trust Yelp and other online review sites, our patients do. In the JAMA survey, 35% of respondents said that they selected a physician based on good ratings, while 37% said that they avoided a physician with negative reviews. The 2013 Industry View Report also found that 45% of respondents ranked "quality of care" as the most important type of information sought about a doctor. And since many patients equate service with quality, reviews that focus on service matter.
This isn’t an entirely bad thing. If we really listen to what patients are saying, their comments can help us to improve service and communication. And, in some instances, it can lead to stronger doctor-patient relationships. Like many other industries, health care is moving toward transparency, and doctor rating sites are a key component of that.
Dr. Jeffrey Benabio is a partner physician in the department of dermatology of the Southern California Permanente Group in San Diego and a volunteer clinical assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego. He has published numerous scientific articles and is a member and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a member of the Telemedicine Association and the American Medical Association, among others. He is board certified in dermatology as well as medicine and surgery in the state of California. Dr. Benabio has a special interest in the uses of social media for education and building dermatology practice. He is the founder of The Derm Blog, an educational website that has had more than 2 million unique visitors. Dr. Benabio is also a founding member and the skin care expert for Livestrong.com, a health and wellness website of Lance Armstrong’s the Livestrong Foundation. Dr. Benabio is @Dermdoc on Twitter.