Online Ratings and Reviews of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Abstract

Category: Practice Management Introduction/Purpose: Utilization by patients of physician rating websites continues to expand. There is limited information on how these websites function and influence patient perception and physicians’ practices. No study has specifically investigated online ratings and comments of orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons. In this study, we identified what factors impact online ratings and comments for this subset of surgeons. Methods: A total of 210 orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons in or near metropolitan areas were randomly selected from the American Orthopaedic of Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) website. Demographic information, ratings (number of stars), and comments were reviewed on the three most visited public domain physician ratings websites: HealthGrades.com (HealthGrades), Vitals.com (Vitals), and Ratemds.com (Ratemds). Content differences between positive and negative comments were evaluated. Results: Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons had a mean rating of 4.03 ± 0.57 out of 5 stars. A high percentage (84%) of the total number of ratings were either 1-star (17%) or 5-stars (67%). Most positive comments related to outcome, physician personality, and communication while most negative comments related to outcome, bedside manner, and waiting time. Chi-square analysis revealed statistically significant proportions of positive comments pertaining to surgeon-dependent factors (eg, physician personality, knowledge, skills) and of negative comments concerning surgeon-independent factors (eg, waiting time, logistics). Conclusion: This is the first study examining online ratings and written comments of orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons. Surgeons had a generally favorable rating and were likely to have positive comments. Patients were likely to write positive comments about surgeon personality and communication, and negative comments pertaining to bedside manner and waiting time. Knowledge and management of online content may allow surgeons to improve patient satisfaction and online ratings.