[Jaye]

Introduction to an article in a recent Angie's List newsletter(link below):

Medical muzzle

"She is difficult and rigid. She is easily offended by questions, and is often late. She is moody, controlling and the coldest fish known to womankind."

"From the very first meeting, she gives a lot of time and does not rush. She is very up to date with your records. She's very good about making referrals, and her staff is wonderful."

Do you think it's valuable to hear diverse opinions such as these, taken from two reports on AngiesList.com about the same Boston-area doctor? Do you think patients have a right to speak about their experiences "good, bad or otherwise” to whomever they like? Or do you think doctors have a right to privacy that overrules patients' rights to speak freely?

http://magazine.angieslist.com/Story...ent-gag-orders

Note: Angie's list is members-only with a subscription fee. I am not promoting it and have no connection to it except that I'm a member. I just though this was an area we should be aware of.

Jaye

[reverett123]

The rate your MD site I posted last week was purportedly started by a group of doctors who felt that the idea of gagging the patient was idiotic and against the whole idea of medicine.

We wouldn't buy a TV without knowing what others thought. If a doctor has anything to fear, then he or she should look at themselves. If they fear the crank patient, then simply ask all their patients to log on and rate them.

[Stitcher]

Trusted.MD
About:
Trusted.MD Network is dedicated to providing online information services for the benefit of healthcare consumers and professionals. We have been a pioneer of healthcare blogs and social media, proud of instigating several "firsts":


Do Online Ratings Matter?
By Shelly K. Schwartz
With the number of rate-your-doctor Web sites swelling, here’s how to defend your reputation.


by hippocrates
Discussing a recent brouhaha about a physician review site. Can you trust anonymous consumer ratings? What does the future hold?



IgniteBLOG: The Perfect Storm
Featured Story March 30, 2009
Physicians Use Copyright Infringement Threat to Block Patient Ratings on the Web



Physician Use of Patient-centered Weblogs and Online Journals
by Julie Hillan, Clin Med Res. 2003 October; 1(4): 333–335. PMCID: PMC1069063
"Online weblogs and journals developed by people affected by illness are popular vehicles for personal expression and peer emotional support. These sites can also offer insight to healthcare providers about patient opinions, habits and actions. These same media can also be effective and efficient tools for exchanging information between patients, providers, or between a patient and his/her provider(s)."

[vlhperry]

Since patients have different expectations of neurologists, some will never find an ideal neurologist (patients who are "glass half empty" type, and patients that are optimistic and more open to people in general ("glasses half full type.") The more ratings given to a particular neurologist, the higher the trustworthiness of the rating.

The best way to choose a neurologist is to educate yourself about your illness, and find a neurologist who seems to agree with the treatment you are willing to try. If you find you do not improve, do not blame the neurologist, go back to step one and attempt to discover why your first treatment expectations did not work, reaccess your experiences, and find a different regimine you believe in. Once more, look for a neurologist who agrees with your ideas and try again. This way the responsibility is assumed by you by your taking an active part in your treatment or choices to improve your quality of life.

Just as every patient has a different idea of what may have caused the illness, so do the neurologists.

Vicky

[Stitcher]

I can remember the day...not that many years ago, when a physician would prod a patients into being proactive about their health; i.e. losing weight.

I have noted over the past few years that very few physicians prod patients to take proactive steps to improve health. I find that they just simply treat what ails the patient and leave it at that. This is especially true of the newer docs just out of med school.

You are right, Vicky, about the rating. I just moved my home last week and am in the process of seeking out a new Internist. I look online at the docs connected to the local hospital and say to myself, who do I entrust my medical health too? This is a big decision for me to make.

Personally, I would not make a decision based on a rating system. It is a tough decision to make...choosing a new doc. For example, my new MDS is not yet associated with NPF or Udall, but would like to be. I like him. He is thorough and several from the support group I lead see him. As he said to me yesterday during an EMG test, he does not like to rush through anything with a patient. I appreciated that statement, which he made as an explanation about why he had to leave to room to inform someone he was going to be late for a meeting...it was already 5:30pm. Heck my new patient appointment with him was 5pm, and I didn't leave the office until almost 7pm.

The last time I changed doctors, it was required that I move my records to the new doctor BEFORE I saw her the first time. I wasn't happy with this, but she was the only doc in my community taking new patients. I wanted to see her and judge for myself whether I liked her first or not.

Carolyn

[Curious]

State Medical Board:
http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html

This is a list of each states medical board. On the websites you can check to see if a Dr has been disaplined by the board.

Just another tool. But also ask if the Dr has practiced in a different state, then check there. Some scary stuff on Dr's still practising and moving around.

Stitcher, you can interview a new Dr without becoming a patient. If a Dr won't won't make 10 minute meeting in his office ( not exam room) then adios...find another one. You are doing the hiring and writing him/her a paycheck.

[Stitcher]

Curious, you have a good point!

Doctors taking new patients are few in my "neck of the woods", unless I want go into Baltimore...UGH!

Thanks, I will have to check out the board for PA. Thanks for the idea, it would not have crossed my mind.

Carolyn

p.s. And what a beautiful baby.

[Jaye]

A lot of good points being made on this thread, and some good information. Carolyn, I know what you mean about Baltimore, what with the rough pavement and my favorite hospital being in a very rough neighborhood. We make our own choices, but sometimes each choice leads to a hassle!

Thanks to all, especially for the great links!

Jaye

"You cannot passively place your care in the hands of a doctor and expect to be fixed like a car that needs a tune-up."

- Phillip C. McGraw, PhD
"Dr. Phil"

[olsen]

If you know a nurse whose judgement you trust, ask him/her for a recommendation--or ask for the name of their internist. Just as good docs only refer to other good docs, good nurses know which docs are good and only refer to them.

[GregD]

I agree with the most of the comments already posted here.
Do the doctors have a right to silence comment's?
I have no idea. If the doctor was truly concerned with their performance and wanting to grow his/her practice, they would be glad to have any comments about them so they can evaluate themselves and know where to make changes in their service. After all most doctors are chosen by word of mouth, education, and experience. Word of mouth being the biggest key player here. If I tell you so and so is an idiot, you are not going to go see them. If I say so and so is the greatest thing since sliced bread, you will go or at least try to make an appointment with them. Should your comments be silenced? No

GregD