Don’t you just love to share your opinions? As Americans, we hold some things very dear to our heart – our independence, our patriotism, and our freedom of speech especially. We want to say how we feel, share our thoughts, and express our views. It’s what we’ve come to know, and what we’ve come to love. If we have an extraordinarily good or bad experience with a company, we share it – through word of mouth, e-mails, blogs, Twitters, Facebook updates, etc… We have a variety of means through which to express ourselves these days. And you know what else? We typically love to hear other people’s opinions – especially when we’re about to try something new. What inspires you to try a new restaurant? You probably heard something good about it from a friend, or read positive reviews about it online. And where do many college students go before registering for their classes? A site like RateMyProfessors.com, where other students have thoroughly reviewed the professors.

So what do you do when you’re searching for a new doctor or physician? In the past you’ve probably relied on referrals from family or friends. But these days, with the ever-increasing supply of technology, more people are searching for doctors online. Physician review sites have been popping up all over the web, such as RateMDs.com, which allows you to find information on physicians and dentists, read the doctor reviews, and rate doctors based on your own experiences. The site currently has over 694,000 physician reviews (over 183,000 doctors are reviewed on this site alone). The site claims to average 600 new ratings per day and it is free for the public to use. They pride themselves on being “a resource for people who want to find a good doctor.” It certainly sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it?

Not according to the doctors! Many physicians are concerned that these reviews are often unfair and do little to provide good information to consumers and patients. In fact, some physicians have begun asking their patients to sign an agreement that bans them from posting negative comments on these rating websites. In response to these concerns, Medical Justice was founded in 2007. Medical Justice claims to offer “proactive services that protect physicians’ reputations and deter proponents of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits.” Among other things, the company provides registered physicians with a standardized waiver agreement under which patients promise not to post comments about the doctor on any websites. The company advises the physicians to have all patients sign the waiver – and refuse care for those who do not sign. They company will also inform physicians when negative comments do appear online. The doctors may then use the signed waiver to remove the negative reviews, and possibly take legal action against patients (which might be difficult, since most reviews are left anonymously). The company currently serves about 2,000 physicians!

Most of these doctor review sites, like RateMDs.com, do review all new ratings, and the administrators reserve the right to delete comments or entire ratings. They maintain that all reviews should be about professional ability – so they probably won’t approve a review that says, “My doctor is mean, fat, and ugly.” But when it comes to a doctor’s professional ability, they believe that all reviews – good and bad – are a positive resource for the consumer.

What do you think? How do you find a doctor? Have you used any physician review sites, or would you rate a doctor on one of these sites? We think it’s an excellent resource for consumers – and when it comes to finding a doctor, we could use all the information we can get! Keep in mind, though, that you should always take physician reviews with a grain of salt. Very few (if any) sites can absolutely guarantee that all reviews are legitimate.

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