학술논문

An analysis of healthcare providers' online ratings
Document Type
article
Source
Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics, Vol 17, Iss 4, Pp 249-253 (2009)
Subject
healthcare providers
online review
quality of care
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics
R858-859.7
Language
English
ISSN
2058-4555
2058-4563
Abstract
Background Many websites allow consumers to evaluate their healthcare experience yet scant data exist that explore the type and content of reviews. Objective To evaluate and describe online healthcare provider reviews. Methods We analysed 16 703 ratings on 6101 providers from four US cities. Ratings spanned five categories and an overall provider score. We also performed text analyses of narrative commentary (n = 15 952). Results Providers had a high mean score for each category (3.7_4.0 out of 5). Higher overall scores were associated with higher staff (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.0, 95% CI 2.9_3.0, P< 0.01) and punctuality scores (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 2.05_2.15, P< 0.01). Review frequency was inversely associated with scores, (aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92_0.96, PConclusions Online ratings were largely positive. Future research must discern how online surveys affect patient referrals, provider reputations and patients' perceptions of quality of care.