Contrary to popular belief – and the lingering fear of healthcare providers – it’s not vengeful or angry reviewers that skew online physician ratings. It's also not related to the assumption that people are more likely to post negative reviews. Instead, skewed results are actually due to low numbers: ratings and rankings typically lack enough data to be statistically meaningful.
While doctor databases are not new, typically only individual health insurers track which physicians participate in their own plans. In comparison, the LA Times tool aggregates all the plans in which a doctor participates within Covered California. We find it interesting that this very positive example of retail-style healthcare marketing is coming not from the state or plans themselves, but the media.
Over half of the doctors surveyed said that social media enables them to care for patients more effectively, while 60 percent stated it helps to deliver a higher quality of care to patients.
Medical professionals throughout the country are replacing pamphlets and office hours with blogs, social streams, QR codes and mobile outreach.