Scope, Breadth, and Differences in Online Physician Ratings Related to Geography, Specialty, and Year: Observational Retrospective Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physician ratings websites have emerged as a novel forum for consumers to comment on their health care experiences. Little is known about such ratings in Canada.

Objective

We investigated the scope and trends for specialty, geographic region, and time for online physician ratings in Canada using a national data source from the country's leading physician-rating website.

Methods

This observational retrospective study used online ratings data from Canadian physicians (January 2005-September 2013; N=640,603). For specialty, province, and year of rating, we assessed whether physicians were likely to be rated favorably by using the proportion of ratings greater than the overall median rating.

Results

In total, 57,412 unique physicians had 640,603 individu

SUBMITTER: Liu JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5863010 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature