Patient Reviews of Clinicians
Is there anything that we now pay for that doesn’t ask for a detailed review of a purchase or use of a service?
I have been asked, possibly even harassed, on many occasions to rate how well someone posted a small parcel through the letterbox. Not much to say really, other than it went as well as could be expected; my experience unlikely to influence another potential customer.
It’s just not that important.
But an area where personal reviews really do matter, is when it comes to choosing who is best placed to look after your health.
A private medical insurer recently gave us the names of three recommended consultants for an initial consultation for a family member. We went for the one who seemed to have the strongest qualifications in their specialism, though at the time, I thought it was odd that I couldn’t find any online patient reviews of their service.
The consultation did not go well. This particular clinician had no empathy, was unable to make themselves understood and was unaware of basic hospital follow up procedures.
I relayed all this to our insurer and we changed clinician, although we still had to had to pay the fee as it fell within our excess.
In the future, we will not be seeing any healthcare provider unless we are satisfied with the testimony of other users on platforms such as
Private Health Information Network
Whilst a consultant might be approved by your insurer, I think it is really worth your while in doing some background research before committing to seeing them.