0934 An Analysis of 5,212 Sleep Medicine Providers’ Online Patient Reviews

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Online provider rating websites are an increasingly popular medium for patients to provide reviews & feedback and obtain information about varying healthcare providers. There have yet to be studies on what factors significantly impact sleep medicine provider ratings. Healthgrades is a popular healthcare provider rating database with over 11 million patient reviews. This study analyzes various dimensions to determine what factors correlate with average sleep medicine provider ratings to improve patient satisfaction. Methods Data were collected on 5,212 sleep medicine providers’ online profiles using web data extraction software. Factors such as medical degree, gender, age, and ethnicity were compared to online ratings using Pearson correlation and ANOVA analysis via statistics software. Results Variables with positive correlation in provider rating include the presence of a headshot (pc=0.106, p< 0.01), designation of trustworthiness (pc=0.152, p< 0.01), and presence of care philosophy statement (pc=0.105, p< 0.01). The only variable with a negative correlation in provider rating was increasing age (p=-0.109, p< 0.01). A one-way ANOVA revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in mean rating between different healthcare degrees (F(122.271, 5062.570)=[17.955], p=<.001). Tukey’s HSD Test for multiple comparisons found that the mean value of ratings was significantly different between allopathic physicians and sleep medicine dentists (p=0.000, 95% C.I.=[-0.943,0.070]), physician assistants (p=0.000, 95% C.I.=[-1.268,-0.239]), and nurse practitioners (p=0.000, 95% C.I.=[-0.941,-0.188]). There was no statistically significant difference in mean online rating between allopathic physicians and osteopathic physicians (p=0.505), sleep psychologists (p=0.344), or foreign medical graduates (p=0.998), respectively. Conclusion This study suggests patients perceive sleep medicine providers’ online profiles with headshots, care philosophy statements, and designation of trustworthiness as contributing factors when rating. Additionally, degree type and age matter when rating online. Patients do not value factors such as ethnicity or gender strongly when rating their sleep medicine provider. Further study is needed to determine factors influencing non-physician providers’ higher ratings when compared to U.S. medical graduates. This study demonstrates the importance of building an online presence for sleep medicine practices and identifying characteristics patients value. The expectation is that this information can be used to improve the quality of care delivered in the field of sleep medicine. Support (if any)