Patients Googling doctors

Better find out what your search engine reputation is, as patients already know:

If people realized that that college alumni newsletter was now also being produced in an online version, they might think twice before contributing to it. I googled my psychiatrist and up popped a link to the college alumni newsletter entry with my shrink’s name, his wife’s name and profession, and their children’s names and ages.

On occasion, I check the state’s medical board web site to check for judgments against a doctor, if a medical license is current, etc. I have checked all my doctors in this database. One time I checked my primary care provider and noticed that her license had expired (no wonder she was on vacation…catching up on those CE units no doubt!). I also noticed that the address that all the doctors had listed was their office address — except for one. I found it really strange that my favorite doctor had an address that was definitely in a residential neighborhood — complete with apartment number. This doctor has since moved to a new home. How do I know? Check the address associated with her medical license.