Online doctor reviews, ? meaningful?

[blueash]

I got another email today. I've had many like this even though I have been retired for years. This is a common email from many different companies. Use positive online reviews with great caution

Hello Dr. *******,

Patients in your area look up for your services everyday on the internet. They decide on your practice primarily on the basis of its online visibility and patient reviews.

Our program gets you consistent 5-star patient reviews on Google, Vitals, RateMDs, Healthgrades, WebMD and other major review websites. Negative reviews are removed or buried down and positive reviews are published across the internet. This program also improves your search ranking to make your practice visible in local Google searches. You get guaranteed results and we publish a monthly progress report that indicates the number of 5-star reviews published for you in a month. We also assign a dedicated account manager to make sure that the program is a success for you.

THIS MONTH ONLY - We are offering a straight $100 discount for clients who sign up on or before Friday, November 17, 2023 and there is no long term contract. Avail the discount offer and sign up before the last date for just $249 per month (down from $349). Protect and build your online reputation and improve number of patients and appointments as a result.

For any questions or to signup for the program, reply to this email with your contact details or call us at 949.407.8096.

Thank You
Rachael Green
Senior Reputation Specialist
949.407.8096

[Caymus]

I got another email today. I've had many like this even though I have been retired for years. This is a common email from many different companies. Use positive online reviews with great caution

I think this is the first time I saw the title "Senior Reputation Specialist".

[golfing eagles]

I got another email today. I've had many like this even though I have been retired for years. This is a common email from many different companies. Use positive online reviews with great caution

Nice. I'm sure you get voted "Top Doctor" every year as well so they can sell you a meaningless plaque. I've been retired 9 years and still get hits on linked in about 3/day. Also about 3 job offers/week. The one that came yesterday was a repeat for the Tampa Bay area-----4 day workweek, outpatient only, limited patient panel, no on call, $397K/year + $100K signing bonus, profit sharing, 6 weeks vacation, paid CME and relocation. They must be really desperate. I should respond to one of these and tell them my age----I doubt they'll be all that anxious then.

[oldtimes]

Nice. I'm sure you get voted "Top Doctor" every year as well so they can sell you a meaningless plaque. I've been retired 9 years and still get hits on linked in about 3/day. Also about 3 job offers/week. The one that came yesterday was a repeat for the Tampa Bay area-----4 day workweek, outpatient only, limited patient panel, no on call, $397K/year + $100K signing bonus, profit sharing, 6 weeks vacation, paid CME and relocation. They must be really desperate. I should respond to one of these and tell them my age----I doubt they'll be all that anxious then.

If it sounds too good to be true...

[golfing eagles]

If it sounds too good to be true...

Even if you saw 100 patients/week and billed aggressively, you wouldn't quite cover your own salary. So.......my guess is that every patient you sees ends up with A LOT of unnecessary lab work and radiographic imaging as well as several consults with specialists. Might not be true, but certainly wouldn't surprise me either.

[asianthree]

Nice. I'm sure you get voted "Top Doctor" every year as well so they can sell you a meaningless plaque. I've been retired 9 years and still get hits on linked in about 3/day. Also about 3 job offers/week. The one that came yesterday was a repeat for the Tampa Bay area-----4 day workweek, outpatient only, limited patient panel, no on call, $397K/year + $100K signing bonus, profit sharing, 6 weeks vacation, paid CME and relocation. They must be really desperate. I should respond to one of these and tell them my age----I doubt they'll be all that anxious then.

I doubt age is a factor lately. 12 of our Anesthesia group retired (again) after returning to work the pandemic, to give those with young children paid time off.

Lately In our weekly chats, all of us get multiple job offers, from our old company, Traveling agency, and Link. Ages for our group 59-75.

To put our warped sense of humor in play, our return answers lately has been, I can safely put the patient asleep, but may need a nap during the procedure :girlneener:

[kendi]

Probably too much of a hassle to update the list. I get similar emails related to my profession. Not a big deal.

[MandoMan]

Nice. I'm sure you get voted "Top Doctor" every year as well so they can sell you a meaningless plaque. I've been retired 9 years and still get hits on linked in about 3/day. Also about 3 job offers/week. The one that came yesterday was a repeat for the Tampa Bay area-----4 day workweek, outpatient only, limited patient panel, no on call, $397K/year + $100K signing bonus, profit sharing, 6 weeks vacation, paid CME and relocation. They must be really desperate. I should respond to one of these and tell them my age----I doubt they'll be all that anxious then.

I DO look at physician reviews, but with caution. Around here, you have to be careful. People give lousy reviews because “I had to wait ten minutes” or “Her hands were too cold” or “I felt like he was rushed and didn’t have time to listen to me” or “I couldn’t understand his accent” or “I was seen by a nurse practitioner.” I look for references to good diagnoses and patient care and where the doctor trained and if the doctor is board certified. Being able to reach the office and get answers to questions is crucial, even if I don’t hear from the doctor. Most important is references to surgeries that weren’t well done.

As for the service you describe, I’m afraid a lot of the positive reviews would be written by shills who write good reviews for a living and simply paste in doctor review boilerplate.

Back around 33 years ago, I needed my gallbladder removed in an emergency situation. I had worked in an operating room in my youth, and I know some doctors are much better surgeons than others. So I called the O.R. Supervisor of the best hospital in the area and explained that I had worked as an O.R. Technician in another city years before and said, “Between us, if you needed a cholecystectomy today, what surgeon would you call?” She told me. I called him. I survived. His bedside manner or accent or whatever were immaterial. What I most want in a surgeon is excellent surgery. Plenty of surgeons are mediocre and plenty are good, but every hospital has a few the O.R. nurses would go to because they’ve seen them cut. That information is not available in these ratings.

[ThirdOfFive]

Agree about the unreliability of online reviews. Any Amazon shopper can attest to that.

As far as physician quality, usually the ones with the longest wait times for services are the best. I'd be very suspicious of calling for an appointment and being informed that Dr. so-and-so has FOUR openings tomorrow morning.

[Dusty_Star]

As for the service you describe, I’m afraid a lot of the positive reviews would be written by shills who write good reviews for a living and simply paste in doctor review boilerplate.



As you remarked some people are writing good reviews for pay. There are companies like the one that contacted Blueash who pay for these review. This is how they can guarantee a certain number of five star reviews.