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

Do physician rating sites deserve a black box warning?

Roy Benaroch, MD
Physician
October 3, 2017
202 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

When a drug is especially dangerous, or even potentially-maybe-especially dangerous, the FDA requires manufacturers to put a black box warning on the product insert. A black box warning is supposed to very explicitly say “buyer beware,” more than just the typical list of potential side effects mumbled by Mr. TalkFast at the end of a drug ad.  It’s easy to ignore the wordy mumbling. The black box: That’s supposed to get your attention. It doesn’t mean the drug is a bad idea for everyone, but it does mean you’d better think before you take.

I’d like to see a black box warning on physician rating sites, too. They’re not always wrong, and they might just be useful once in a while. But you’d better think twice before taking them at face value, or using them to make decisions about whom to see for health care.

A few recent studies illustrate some of the problems. One looked at mortality rates for 614 heart surgeons scattered across 5 states, comparing those rates to their physician ratings on several well-known rating sites. There was no correlation at all. Physicians with high death rates often had great ratings; physicians with low death rates might have very good ratings. If your goal is to survive heart surgery, those physician rating sites tell you nothing. That should be in the black box warning.

Another study looked at physicians in California, comparing ratings on popular sites between 410 docs who had been put on disciplinary probation versus docs in those same zip codes who hadn’t been sanctioned. Keep in mind that medical boards do not take probation lightly — docs who’ve been nailed by their board have probably done something fairly bad, and probably more than once. (Although there’s considerable variability, some luck, and politics involved. Good docs are sometimes trapped by their boards, too.) Although it varied by the reason for the probationary status, for many doctors disciplined for lack of professionalism, substance abuse, or sexual misconduct there was no correlation between ratings and probation status. Looking at the overall averages, docs on probation had an average score of 3.7, compared to 4.0 for docs who had behaved themselves. Very little difference, there.

There are several reasons that these rating sites do not reflect genuine physician competence:

  • Only people who are motivated to write ratings do so. The vast majority of patients who have a reasonably positive experience do not bother to do rate their docs. I’ve called this property of Internet postings “exaggerating freakiness,” and it pervades social media. The Internet brings far more attention to the outliers than it does to ordinary stories, and that distorts the impression we get from just about every web site.
  • How people feel about the medical care they received doesn’t necessarily correlate with whether they got good care or not.
  • It’s pretty much impossible to tell if a public posting is true. There are many reasons people write both positive (friends, neighbors, well-wishers) and negative (competitors, those with specific agendas) reviews.

Some docs (and other businesses) are using litigation to aggressively fight back against negative reviews. But that’s not always fair, either. People are entitled to their opinions, and as long as they’re not just lying about what happened, I think it’s best if the lawyers stay out of this. Still, I get the frustration that business owners feel if they’ve been unfairly targeted.

Online rating sites are here to stay, and they’ll continue to rate doctors and hospitals, and people are going to continue to use them. (Google just shoves the rating down your throat when you search. There’s no avoiding this.) Just remember the black box warning: Physician rating sites may have some use, but they can have unintended side effects. They may mislead you into making a poor decision about your doctors, and that’s not good for your health.

Roy Benaroch is a pediatrician who blogs at the Pediatric Insider. He is also the author of A Guide to Getting the Best Health Care for Your Child and the creator of The Great Courses’ Medical School for Everyone: Grand Rounds Cases.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Physicians should not be gender police

October 3, 2017 Kevin 8
…
Next

An ethical dilemma for doctors: When is it OK to prescribe opioids?

October 3, 2017 Kevin 18
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Physicians should not be gender police
Next Post >
An ethical dilemma for doctors: When is it OK to prescribe opioids?

More by Roy Benaroch, MD

  • Goodbye, Benadryl: It is time for you to retire

    Roy Benaroch, MD
  • Telemedicine overprescribes antibiotics: Are you really receiving the best care over the phone?

    Roy Benaroch, MD
  • No, phones don’t cause horns to grow on skulls

    Roy Benaroch, MD

Related Posts

  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi
  • Black boxes: health warning or profit warning?

    Martha Rosenberg
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • Think deeply about ways you can use your power as a physician to make change

    Danielle Plattenburg Arnold, MD

More in Physician

  • Decoding the brain’s decision-making: insights for medical professions and strategies for success

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Unmasking the truth: the shocking reality of the opioid epidemic and who’s really to blame

    Jay K. Joshi, MD
  • Discover your true north: Navigating life’s confusions and embracing your path to success

    Tyler Jorgensen, MD
  • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

    Anonymous
  • From journalism to medicine: Unveiling the untold stories of patients’ medical conditions

    Veronica Bonales, MD
  • A mentor’s legacy in medicine, leadership, and embracing evidence-based care

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Proactive risk management: a game-changer in preventing physician burnout

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Decoding the brain’s decision-making: insights for medical professions and strategies for success

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Unmasking the truth: the shocking reality of the opioid epidemic and who’s really to blame

      Jay K. Joshi, MD | Physician
    • Discover your true north: Navigating life’s confusions and embracing your path to success

      Tyler Jorgensen, MD | Physician
    • A revolution in patient empowerment: Working together to save our medical system [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Unlock financial freedom: The physician’s guide to lucrative multifamily syndications and wealth accumulation

      Pranay Parikh, MD | Finance

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 1 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

  • More Anxious Kids Medicated; Apple's Mental Health Moves; OTC Video Game for ADHD
  • ADHD Meds Linked to Lower Suicide Risk in Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Promising Gene Therapy for Overactive Bladder
  • The Case for Mandatory LGBTQ+ Health Education in Medical School
  • Shotgun Sequencing of Small Intestine Reveals Species Tied to GI Symptom Severity

Meeting Coverage

  • Promising Gene Therapy for Overactive Bladder
  • Shotgun Sequencing of Small Intestine Reveals Species Tied to GI Symptom Severity
  • FGFR Inhibitor Stakes Claim to Post-Anti-PD-1 Role in Advanced Bladder Cancer
  • Multimorbidity Patterns and Healthcare Utilization in Vets With Schizophrenia
  • Checkpoint Blockade Stumbles in Advanced EGFR-Mutant NSCLC
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide

      William Lynes, MD | Physician
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Proactive risk management: a game-changer in preventing physician burnout

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Decoding the brain’s decision-making: insights for medical professions and strategies for success

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Unmasking the truth: the shocking reality of the opioid epidemic and who’s really to blame

      Jay K. Joshi, MD | Physician
    • Discover your true north: Navigating life’s confusions and embracing your path to success

      Tyler Jorgensen, MD | Physician
    • A revolution in patient empowerment: Working together to save our medical system [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revealing America’s expansion: the dark truth of Native American suffering and unjustified abuses

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Unlock financial freedom: The physician’s guide to lucrative multifamily syndications and wealth accumulation

      Pranay Parikh, MD | Finance

MedPage Today Professional

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

Do physician rating sites deserve a black box warning?
1 comments

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

Loading Comments...