Are Web-Based Patient Rating Systems Bad for Patient Health?

This survey has been closed.

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The impact of patient satisfaction surveys has increased in recent years, so has the importance of correctly assessing and applying the results. Once a rating is posted online, physicians’ reputations are immediately affected. While some clinics use the scores to identify physicians that need additional training or assistance, patient satisfaction scores can also factor into compensation formulas, creating a precarious relationship between patients and physicians based on patient wants rather than needs.

GOALS
In order to assess how both patients and physicians feel about the efficacy of and consequences resulting from patient satisfaction surveys, we have designed two surveys (one for physicians and one for patients) with the following goals:

• To determine whether or not patients and physicians agree on the usefulness of patient satisfaction surveys.
• To determine the impact of patient satisfaction ratings on physicians in the United States.
• To determine where patients find gaps in the quality of their physicians’ services.
• To determine if patients feel that their ratings should impact physicians’ compensation.