Choosing a doctor in the Internet age

Oct. 07--TRAVERSE CITY -- Richard Hermann never needed an online review to help him choose a doctor.

He has a family physician, one who was recommended to him by a friend, and he trusts a friend's endorsement more than an online doctor review.

"I know that person. I know their prejudices and personality, so I can read into things," he said. "On the Internet, who knows who's really posting?"

Hermann's attitude toward online physician reviews reflects findings from a University of Michigan study released Sept. 19.

The study surveyed 1,619 parents about their online habits when deciding where to take children for doctor visits, and found that while 74 percent were aware of online rating sites, only about 28 percent had used one to choose a physician.

Parents were most likely to visit doctors recommended by neighbors and anonymous web reviewers, with 46 percent responding they'd be "very likely" to choose a doctor under that scenario. Twenty-two percent of parents said they'd be very likely to choose a doctor based on a neighbor recommendation alone.

Just three percent would be very likely to choose a doctor with poor online rankings, even if that doctor was recommended by a neighbor.

MaryKay Correll, assistant manager of Northern Michigan Medicine and Pediatrics, said the clinic's online reputation isn't a priority.

"We've not had anything negative brought to our attention," she said. "Maybe if we did we would feel like we should pay closer attention."

Correll said most new patients hear about the clinic by word-of-mouth, although one NMMP doctor was reviewed on Angie's List, a business rating website, and patients occasionally mention doctors on Facebook.

NMMP staff pay more attention to the clinic's in-house patient satisfaction surveys than online reviews.

"I think in general people are more likely to say something (online) when they've had a bad experience than a good one, and I think you'll see that in every business," Correll said.

Doctor Michael Parker cautions his patients against wholeheartedly trusting web search results, especially when it comes to medical advice.

"Everything on the Internet is biased, everything," he said. "I don't care what you're looking up, it's heavily skewed."

He said Internet search companies tailor search results to specific users, so they may be getting results intended to sell them products or lead them to certain sites.

"When you go looking for something, in this case a physician, (companies) have figured out what you are looking for and will screen out what they think you don't need," he said.

That's something Marvy Cordova understands. She researched area physicians before choosing a family doctor and psychiatrist, and tried to find a board-certified doctor who graduated from a good school.

She relied on information provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield, not vague websites or anonymous online reviews.

"I don't know who they are," Cordova said. "I read the official information provided about a doctor by the insurance."

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