Abstract
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Online physician rating websites are increasingly utilized by patients to evaluate their doctors. PURPOSE The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate factors associated with better spine surgeon ratings. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Statistical analysis of publicly available data. PATIENT SAMPLE A total of 250 orthopedic spine surgeons were randomly selected from the North American Spine Society directory utilizing a random number generator. OUTCOME MEASURES Surgeon profiles on three physician rating websites, www.HealthGrades.com , www.Vitals.com , and www.RateMDs.com , were analyzed to gather qualitative and quantitative data on patients' perceptions of the surgeons. METHODS Independent variables from the websites were analyzed in relation to overall physician or patient satisfaction rating using independent-samples t-tests and linear regression analysis. Comments were coded by subject into three categories: professional competence, bedside manner, and practice characteristics. RESULTS A total of 250 surgeons were evaluated, and 92% (n=230) of these doctors had at least one rating among the three websites. The surgeons with a higher average rating had significantly better trust (p CONCLUSIONS This investigation assessed spine surgeon online patient ratings and categorized factors which patients associate with quality care. Trustworthiness was the most significant predictor of positive ratings, while ease of scheduling, quality of staff, helpfulness, and punctuality were also associated with higher patient ratings. Understanding what patients value may help optimize care of spine surgery patients.
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