Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Are you now, or have you ever been, a bad doctor?

Thomas D. Guastavino, MD
Physician
May 11, 2017
129 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

While I was in full-time practice, as far as I can tell, I received one bad anonymously written online patient review. It was on one of the numerous sites that exist but allows written reviews. The star rating is not much better since here you have no idea what the complaint is. However, the weight these reviews carry will increase, so we better take heed. Plus, given the fact that so few patients actually respond on any of these sites, a single bad review can have a devastating impact.

Anyway, here it is the review in its entirety:

Fractured my finger. But Gustavino read the X-ray wrong and treated it as a dislocation. I needed surgery three years later because I had ruptured the tendons and he had no idea. Thank God I went to another hospital after seeing this doc, and they at least cast it and treated it as a fracture. Doc was rude and had terrible bedside manner.

Now, after the initial shock, anyone reading would analyze it to see if anything productive can come out of it. First,
it’s anonymous. The accuser can express a complaint, and the accused cannot respond. It’s a violation of the most important of our civil rights, the right to face our accuser. The public reading this is supposed to act a like a jury who is tasked to render a decision after hearing only one side. It is a drumhead trial.

However, let’s be generous and see if the physician can glean something from reviews like this to become
a better doctor. After all, this is the purpose of these reviews, right?

“Fractured my finger.”

That does not help much. There are many of different types of fractures that can occur in the finger
alone. Also, this does not narrow down who was the patient as I saw finger fractures almost every day.

“But Gustavino read the X-ray wrong and treated it as a dislocation.”

This narrows it down a bit. One of the most common finger injuries I saw was a combined fracture and dislocation of the middle joint of the finger. It was common enough that I had a lot of experience dealing with them. The treatment depends on the size of the fracture and whether or not the joint stays in place and was stable after reduction. An unstable injury is difficult to treat and I, in fact, would refer treatment of these to a hand specialist. One way or another, I had enough experience to identify the problem, explain it to the patient, and get the proper care.

“I needed surgery three years later because I had ruptured the tendons and he had no idea.”

The plot thickens. Clearly, this patient went somewhere else for treatment that took at least three years. Amazing how when a patient self-refers to another physician and there is a problem, it is always the first physician that gets the blame. Ruptured tendons? That almost never happens with this injury. Something else must have gone on.

“Thank God I went to another hospital after seeing this doc, and they at least cast it and treated it as a fracture.”

Bingo! Now I know what happened. Of the various ways to treat this injury what you never do is to cast it. You allow early motion if the injury is stable, and if unstable you operate then do motion as soon as possible, sometimes controlled. The reason is that this joint tends to get very stiff very quickly which is difficult to treat. I know this because I saw many patients referred to me who had this injury casted somewhere else, and their finger was very stiff. One of the treatments is to try and do what’s called a manipulation. Under anesthesia, you try and forcibly move the joint to break up the scarring. But if you are not careful you could get another fracture or, as you may have guessed, rupture the tendons.

“Doc was rude and had a terrible bedside manner.”

Don’t know what to say about this except that this a highly subjective, common complaint about any physician who any patient has a problem with for any reason. It is the last line of nearly half of bad online physician reviews.

So what was gained from this? At best, it shows that anonymous patient reviews are of nebulous value. At worst, it demonstrates how easy it is to negatively judge others and take away their basic rights when fear takes over or when things start going wrong. There is a desperate attempt to find something, or someone, to blame.

The Salem witch trials, the McCarthy hearings, and now anonymous online reviews of physicians that they cannot counter but will be used to judge a physician, putting their career and livelihood on the line.

“Are you now, or have you ever been, a bad doctor?” McCarthy would be proud.

Thomas D. Guastavino is an orthopedic surgeon.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

This family physician is deeply disappointed in maintenance of certification

May 11, 2017 Kevin 10
…
Next

This is the hypocrisy of American health care

May 11, 2017 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Orthopedics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
This family physician is deeply disappointed in maintenance of certification
Next Post >
This is the hypocrisy of American health care

More by Thomas D. Guastavino, MD

  • The consequences of taking patients at their word

    Thomas D. Guastavino, MD
  • Hospital bylaws saved this doctor from EMR burnout

    Thomas D. Guastavino, MD
  • This doctor stopped prescribing opioids. Other physicians should do the same.

    Thomas D. Guastavino, MD

Related Posts

  • Doctor, how are you, really?

    Deborah Courtney
  • Osler and the doctor-patient relationship

    Leonard Wang
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Finding a new doctor is like dating

    R. Lynn Barnett
  • Be a human first and a doctor second

    Sarah Murad
  • Becoming a doctor is the epitome of delayed gratification

    Natasha Abadilla

More in Physician

  • Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration

    Dympna Weil, MD
  • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

    Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH
  • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

    Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD
  • How to overcome telemedicine’s biggest obstacles

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • The patient who became my soulmate

    Anonymous
  • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

    Jean Antonucci, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Lifestyle change: the forgotten solution in health care

      Tyler Petersen | Conditions
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How medical student loan forgiveness can advance health equity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The rise of generative AI in health care: Here’s what you need to know

      Anil Saldanha | Tech
    • Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration

      Dympna Weil, MD | Physician
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

      Franchell Hamilton, MD | Conditions
    • The teacher who changed my life through reading

      Raymond Abbott | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 7 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Early Postpartum IUD Placement Yields Low Complete Expulsion Rate
  • Hydrocortisone Reduced Mortality in Patients With Severe Pneumonia
  • Obesity Tied to Density of Food Stores Carrying Less Healthy Options, Report Finds
  • 4F-PCC No Help in Trauma Patients at Risk of Massive Transfusion
  • Hospital's Board Meetings Still Barraged With COVID Accusations

Meeting Coverage

  • Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor Hits Its Endpoint in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Durable Vitiligo Responses With Topical Ruxolitinib
  • High Rates of Psoriasis Clearance With Investigational TYK2 Inhibitor
  • Rapid Improvement in Atopic Dermatitis With Topical PDE4 Inhibitor
  • New Approaches in the Bladder-Sparing Paradigm
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Lifestyle change: the forgotten solution in health care

      Tyler Petersen | Conditions
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How medical student loan forgiveness can advance health equity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The rise of generative AI in health care: Here’s what you need to know

      Anil Saldanha | Tech
    • Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration

      Dympna Weil, MD | Physician
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

      Franchell Hamilton, MD | Conditions
    • The teacher who changed my life through reading

      Raymond Abbott | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Are you now, or have you ever been, a bad doctor?
7 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...