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Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie’s List – where consumers go to find the best local service in more than 400 service categories.

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Medical gag orders
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Medical gag orders

Posted: 3/9/2009 10:53:37 AM By Angie | 47 comments


I’ve been pretty direct lately about the medical gag orders I blogged about last week, but I’m not going to stop talking about this issue. Part of our job at Angie’s List is to sound alarms when bad things are happening. This trend of trying to silence doctor reviews is wrong, and I’m hoping to stop it before it becomes common practice.

Some people may have already – and unknowingly – signed away their rights.

Some of the doctors who want their patients to sign these gag orders say they’re mutual privacy agreements and imply that they’re going to protect you if you agree to protect them by never talking about the care you receive. Some put these agreements in a sheaf of papers, so it’s just one of many that you sign when you first go to a doctor as a new patient.

No one should have to choose between good health care and their right to free speech. And if someone wants you to sign away that right, he or she should do so openly.

Your doctors should be prepared to explain just why they don’t trust enough in the care you’re about to receive that they want to stop you from talking about it.

My advice: Walk away from any doctor who tries to silence you. There are plenty of good doctors out there who provide good service without stifling your free speech. If you have signed one of these forms and aren’t sure what to do, go talk to your doctors. Find out what your options are from them, first.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be identifying the doctors who are rated on Angie’s List who we know are requiring these waivers. It’s your decision whether you use them or not – but we think you need to know – going in – what you’re up against.

I explained why Angie’s List is against the waivers on Good Morning America yesterday. Check it out if you’re interested in seeing more.




Comments
Stephanie Powers
Our health is very important. As a result, it is just as important that we, as patients, are allowed and able to review the experience we have at any doctors office we visit. That is how we know we are able to find the quality health care we deserve.
7/1/2010 11:40:10 AM
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md_supportstaffer
On the surface, the rating of physicians does seem like a terrific idea. However, as a number of people have stated here, practicing medicine is not the same tile contracting. It is a highly complex, specialized and skilled profession and really does not lend itself to "review" by such simple standards as your forum provides. I am not saying there should not be accountability, but the general public really needs to realize that the majority of physcians, especially general practitioners (i.e. family practice doctors) are not making enormous incomes any longer. Especially once you add in the enormity of the debt they incur while attending school, and subtract their significant malpractice premiums.

I cannot say it better, so I would like to reiterate the comment by "anotherMD" and ask that Angie's List & readers to please take these items under advisement when considering Dr. feedback.


"1) Lateness - This is nearly ALWAYS outside of the physician's control. Quite often, a patient comes in for something seemingly not serious that turns into a full-on procedure with a hospital admit. 15 minutes can turn into an hour quick when you're dealing with someone's health.

2) Cancelling your appointment because you were late: Why should you be allowed to make everyone else wait becuase you couldn't make it on time?

3) Not getting the medical treatmen you, WebMD, or your neighbor the nurse thinks you should: We're in a time when our antibiotics are becoming useless because we overprescribe them and use them inappropriately. I know it sucks to have a cold or sinus infection, but antibiotics WON'T help if its not bacteria and most of them aren't. The same goes for unnecessary surgery, injections, muscle relaxers, etc. Trust that YOUR physician knows YOUR health more than anyone else - including you."
3/9/2010 1:25:33 PM
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Mark
I enjoyed reading the thoughts and ideas about reviewing medical practicioners. Good thoughts, and ideas on both sides of the aisle, but my favorite, was by the person who claimed that our country was "going down the tubes" because of this darned "Free speach" Oh my lord! The wonderful thing is that even someone who thinks that way has the right to say it. And in this case, cause me to laugh so loud and hard, my wife was concerned that I had finally gone over the edge!

At the risk of being labled a hate monger, that moron is the only type you have to worry about posting reviews. But if you cannot see through that kind of thinking, you probably agree with him.

Keep up the great work.
1/18/2010 6:44:42 PM
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milesMD
if you are really interested in finding the best doctor in your area, visit your local ER. ask the physician on duty. we know all the area docs and deal with them on a daily basis. we know who knows their stuff and who doesn't. i know who to send my children to, who i would send my mother to. we're happy guide those who are genuinely interested in their health. and it won't cost you a monthly fee.

angie, here is my suggestion to you. invite a group of physicians from various specialties to sit on your review board (or whatever it is you have to evaluate submissions). let them give a true medical review of the complaint and then decide if it is legitimate. state medical boards already have this in place - doctor names can be searched, and complaints/suits/discipline are listed. these have been legitimized and professionally reviewed.

if you're going to toy with people's rep utations and livelihood, its the least you could do. a self-regulated, pay-for-service website with no professional or standardized 3rd party reviews is fairly dangerous, despite the glowing praise posted on your site. "wisdom of the crowd" isn't far from "ignorance of the mob". please be careful.
12/15/2009 11:16:00 AM
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Patrick Aubrey
I have no problem with anyone rating doctors on Angieslist. But I cannot understand one thing. Why doesn't Angieslist rate LAWYERS? Isn't Angieslist about homeownership? Don't all homeowners need access to good lawyers, whether for closing on a house, dealing with a really problematic workman, dealing with a passerby or guest suing for injuries, etc., etc.? There are many cases in which Angieslist specifically tells people to use a lawyer once legal problems arise. Yet despite rating accountants and doctors, no lawyers appear on the list. Why not? And please don't say that "no one has asked." I don't believe that for a second! The only real way to prove this to your customers is to put the question out to your customer base for open comment: who would like to see lawyer ratings on Angieslist? And see what response you get. Remember, fair's fair: if doctors can get rated, lawyers should, too.
11/21/2009 1:37:32 PM
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Where's the Optimism?
Geez, there's alot of negativity out there, now isn't there? I think many posters are forgetting that Angie's List is ideally suited as a place for RAVING FANS to be heard.

I've personally posted over 35 reviews of contractors, doctors, dentist, vet, and car dealer and NOT ONE of them is a negative review. I want to RAVE about good service, and I search Angie's List for providers with similar RAVING FANS of thier own before I hire anyone/get an appointment.

As for negative reviews, there's always going to be the occasional nutjob, but when a service provider's POSITIVE reviews far outweigh the negative ones, now THAT tells the reader a story. And for those of you who say "no one posts POSITIVE reviews," that's just plain uninformed and silly -- you clearly have not been a member and actually used Angie's List. I've been researching/selecting/posting providers on Angie's List for over a year and I can assure EVERYONE that there are many more RAVES than "complaints."

In fact, Angie's List has a protocol that is explained in the Membership rules that lets you know a "negative post" will be followed up on and your name and comments shared with the provider in question...so even if I've had a negative experience with a service provider, it's not worth the trouble to dwell on it and report it. It's much more effective and helpful to others to RAVE about his COMPETITOR who is absolutely wonderful.

Clearly, contrary to what several bitter and somewhat nutty folks in the medical community have stated in this blog, HIPAA and it's protection of a patient's medical information should obviously not be repealed. I really don't get the paranoia here...if you receive a negative review, wouldn't you rather KNOW who's unhappy with you? This accountability/full disclosure of the "reporter" gives you an opportunity for open dialogue and resolution -- I reckon they TALK to more folks in your town than those who subscribe to Angie's List. You can stop them from verbally smearing your name all over town (because they WILL do that) by intervening to clear up a misunderstanding. That's all most unhappy customers/patients want anyway...just an apology for/dialogue about a misunderstanding or an attempt on your part to make it better. And if that doesn't work, either because they're just an irrational nutjob OR because you've actually broken your Hippocratic Oath to "do no harm" then EITHER WAY simply respond on Angie's List with a note (as contractors do) that you contacted the "negative reporter" and attempted to remedy the situation to the "negative reporter's" satisfaction. That sends a CLEAR message to Angie's List readers that you are a provider who actually cares and made "the effort" -- and in most situations that will certainly overshadow any negative review.

Final words of advice...lighten up!! Life's too short to be worried about the negative. If you're worth your salt, I'm sure you have RAVING FANS just itchin' to brag on you. Expect the POSITIVE and it will come to you!
8/24/2009 8:20:48 PM
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Surgeon
The editors of Angie's List should keep in mind when publishing a negative review of a physician that it may not contain all the facts. One of my patient filed a malpractice suit. The case was reviewed and dismissed. Even so, I can't change what was written and can't respond to the negative comments in the same venue. It's the attorneys or nothing.

Physicians are not contractors yet Angie's list adjoins us with them. They fail to acknowledge that pre-existing conditions such as obesity, diabetes and smoking play an enormous role in the success or failure of any medical procedure. Regardless, the reviewer is taken at his/her word.

It should be noted that an estimated 25% of all the doctors in the United States are sued on an annual basis. Last year more than 19,000 medical malpractice suits were filed. Half were against surgeons. A typical surgeon can expect to be sued between 2 and 8 times during his career. 95% of these suits are deemed frivolous and are dismissed. That leaves a lot of angry patients. Angie's list should should require those posting negative reviews of a physician to sign a weaver allowing the physician to post an honest reply. Even if it means disclosing confidential information.
Now THAT would solve the problem in an instant.
8/10/2009 3:28:25 PM
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tom
After 30 years in business with the gerneral public, I realize only one in ten is a problem. With the open end formst of list like this hose trouble makers have an unending reach with their distorted view of reality. I have the right to not go back to a Doctor, store, plumber or whomever if I feel slighted....and I do just that. But an open forum to bash something has led me to decide to no longer deal with the general public ....there loss. I always save them money but, that one in ten has now grown to be more than I care to take.....thanks Angie's list
7/27/2009 9:31:21 AM
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Sam
Angie - thanks for bringing this up. In working with medical providers I am finding that it is not only the doctors themselves but the staff and management that are valuable. Everyone makes mistakes, and I want to know how they as a team deal with mistakes: do they hide in secrecy of denial or possibly a gag order, or do they jump in to quickly fix any issues that arise.
7/23/2009 12:57:51 PM
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Another MD
As a side comment, I'm not against allowing reviews of physicians on here. We should be subject to the same scrutiny as any other career. However, I do believe that certain things should NOT be used as criteria for a negative review, including:

1) Lateness - This is nearly ALWAYS outside of the physician's control. Quite often, a patient comes in for something seemingly not serious that turns into a full-on procedure with a hospital admit. 15 minutes can turn into an hour quick when you're dealing with someone's health.

2) Cancelling your appointment because you were late: Why should you be allowed to make everyone else wait becuase you couldn't make it on time?

3) Not getting the medical treatmen you, WebMD, or your neighbor the nurse thinks you should: We're in a time when our antibiotics are becoming useless because we overprescribe them and use them inappropriately. I know it sucks to have a cold or sinus infection, but antibiotics WON'T help if its not bacteria and most of them aren't. The same goes for unnecessary surgery, injections, muscle relaxers, etc. Trust that YOUR physician knows YOUR health more than anyone else - including you.

There are other examples, but these are the biggies. Again, patients deserve EVERY right to review their doctor. However, these reviews should be tailored to medical practice and checked to appropriateness before posting. No doctor should be vilified because he is actually providing good care (aka not overprescribing antibiotics and taking extra time with patients when needed).
7/17/2009 10:55:19 AM
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Another MD
Lou, I understand your frustration, but your knowledge of these issues are grossly outdated. I can't speak for DMDs, but for MDs, we can no longer receive anything from any pharmaceutical company as a handout. Heck, even cheapy pens or post-it pads are banned in our current ethics statements, much less lunches or other incentives. It also sounds like you take the side of the insurance companies here, saying that they don't charge for treatments that "lack value." Let me ask you this question: would you rather have your MD, with medical training, making your medical decision or an MBA with no medical training 1000 miles away looking at paperwork in another city? Insurance companies have amazingly been successful in their propaganda making regular physicians, particularly the suffering primary care physicians, out to be the bad guys.

Sure, some MDs make big salaries - your Ophthalmologists, Dermatologists, Orthopedists, and Plastic Surgeons. These are physicians who get paid big bucks mostly because many of their procedures are highly specialized or because they're mostly elective procedures. Insurance companies don't pay for breast augmentation, laser eye surgery, or extensive wart removal, for example.

You're absolutely wrong that poor quality care is cheaper than high quality care. In reality, preventitive medicine saves primary care physicians, and physicians everywhere, a ton more money than screwing up and letting some badness get worse. Medicare and Medicaid no longer cover care caused by physician error, for example, and we aren't allowed to charge for it.

If you truly stop to look at the numbers, physicians have taken this "rush-in, rush-out" mentality along with the "one-problem-per-appointment" work schedule because they've been forced to by their payers - the government and insurance companies. Payouts to physicians have decreased drastically over the last 15 years or so, requiring more patients to be seen in less time just to cover the overheads of paying your staff and your building mortage/rent, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt you rack up as a medical student.

As for the "one-problem" appointments, many insurance companies don't pay for additional work you do with a patient. If you come in for a cold, but also complain about your back pain and a cut that might need stitches, the doctor gets paid the same whether he fixes all three problems in one hour (and pushing everyone else on schedule back) or fixes the most important in 15 minutes and asks you to schedule later for the other two.

And those patients who's appointments may have been one hour late because of you? Three or four of them may come onto Angie's List here and leave bad reviews as a result.

All I'm saying is don't demonize doctors because of the rare terrible ones out there. They're human, too, and have mostly been scrambling to react to external pressures beyond what most people see.
7/17/2009 10:48:24 AM
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Enrico
Angie, your website is a plethora of information. I believe that any Doctor that wants a patient to sign a disclaimer is asking for indemnity for future malpractice. To sign ones health right away is plain dangerous. I have had three strokes due to a brain tumour. Some Doctors have proven to be callous and ignorant, but I remained firm and conversed in their own medical terminology. If I would have signed a disclaimer I would be dead without doubt. To report a Doctor or nurse for malpractice is not spite, it is actually a just service to another fellow human being. No one wants to be disabled, trust me I know as I am disabled. If it is the truth it must be known, but if it is lies then it is libel and must be treated as such. Over all I can relate to many of these comments, however some make no sense, however I have brain damage so I may view this from a different perspective.
6/30/2009 7:26:50 AM
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Trisha
I went to a Dr. that informed my insurance that I was an alcoholic. I do not drink never have. My insurance contacted my employer. In order to keep my job and my insurance I had to go to AA meetings. Until my new Dr, explained that The paperwork the 1st Dr. had sent in was for another patient. Still pops up once in a while though
6/28/2009 9:17:05 PM
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charle jones
You free speechers are what ruined this country. You are the ones that put foul language everywhere. You encourage jokes like letterman's. You took a great moral country and a wonderful language and turn it into a very disrespectful society. Free political speech is what our fore fathers were talking about not childish and street corner talk. Let us decide what we want to do not you dumb do gooders.
6/22/2009 1:58:03 PM
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jane
To the nurse commenting on the rating scale, let's also start rating nurses by name for the unprofessional care, and the mistakes they make everyday that costs patients their lives, (wrong meds given, providing wrong care that was not ordered by the doctor, carless handling of patients regarding spreading of deadly or serious infections by not washing hands and the many other errors they make that cause complications and even death for patients. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
6/3/2009 12:38:41 PM
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jane
I think the whole Angie's List" is a threat to everyone who owns or operates any type of business, medical or not. People are crazy and think they know everything about medicine, yet most patients don't have the firt clue about their care and most of them also don't even want to pay their copays or balances on their bills. I can see patients complaining about a dr just because they owe the dr money and don't want to pay their bill. And as far as drs making alot of money, their fees have been cut so badly over the last ten yrs that many are going out of business as they cannot finanacially keep up their offices. There is a great shortage of drs now as no one wants to go to med school and incur all the debt and time to earn the average of $140,000.00 gross that family practitioners earn today. You people should be glad that drs even want to see you as patients at all, most patients are rude and disrespectful to the dr and staff, i deal with it everyday. People want all their care paid for and don't want to pay their bills. Let's start a list of dead-beat patients w/ full names who do not pay their doctors so they can't just go from dr to dr driving up bills and getting free care. If patients want to complain then the doctor should have the right to fully disclose the patients medical conditions, the patients actual statements of their chief complaint and what the dr told them to do, if they complied, if they paid their bill, and all other aspects of their care so the dr has the ability to fully defend themselves. The drs should also be allowed to disclose everything related to the patient's care due to the fact that this could severly affect a drs practice. Most drs are very honest, and try their best to provide good care. Every business, profession has their bad apples, and it will always be like that, but this is so one-sided it is ridiculous. I truly think Angie needs to realize that if she truly wants to "disclose the bad doctors" then she may also end up showing the real and embarrassing truth about her subscribers medical care, conditions, etc, because fair is fair and with that in mind the dr should have the right to reveal any and all info related to the patient's complaint.
6/3/2009 12:18:51 PM
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Deana
Indeed, these gag orders are ridiculous. It seems, Angie, that you and I got outraged during the same month! :)
5/31/2009 6:36:58 PM
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James J.
I agree with the reporting of Dr.I can report Lawyers ,Police,evryone that serves me, who do Dr think they are ? If I can sue for melpractice , why not put thier names on the wire.
5/28/2009 12:34:50 AM
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Educated Patient
Medical providers that are defined as "covered entities" under HIPAA, the federal law which includes provisions for "patient privacy" and privacy of patients' "protected health information", know darn good and well that they are prohibited under HIPAA's 'privacy rule' from posting on the Internet or many other forms of disclosure of their patients' protected health information. There are also individual state laws which prohibit a doctor or other medical care providers from such disclosure. Any "mutual waiver not to disclose" required of a patient by any doctor is simply ludicrous.
5/20/2009 12:52:03 AM
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Gerry Wieder RN
Franchesca-The ABCDF scale is something everyone understands. That is, you don't even have to know what an "unbalanced mathematical equation" is to GET IT!
5/12/2009 12:49:38 PM
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Gerry Wieder RN
Franchesca-The ABCDF scale is something everyone understands. That is, you don't even have to know what an "unbalanced mathematical equation" is to GET IT!
5/12/2009 12:48:56 PM
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Franchesca
I just think something as serious as rating a doctor should be done by more scientific means than the ABCDF scale Angie's List uses. It is an unbalanced mathematical equation, and they know it.
4/14/2009 11:33:29 PM
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Betty Thompson
I suspect most doctors, especially surgeons, suffer from the inability to communicate with people. Mine was a real jerk assuring me that a total mastectomy would prevent my having to have radiation or chemo. Well, I had the mastectomy and have been through extended chemo treatments plus a year of herceptin. Surgery in July 2008. Chemo within 6 weeks after surgery. End of treatment Feb 2010.
Yes, he is a good 'slicer-dicer' but he has no problem treating patients like one more payment on their huge estate with a Jaguar parked in front.
3/26/2009 8:20:39 AM
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MD
The idea behind patients expressing their opinions on doctors appears good on its face. However, how can a doctor reply to negative commments a patient has posted on them when our hands are tied by privacy laws? Do we need to change the laws of privacy so that everyone's dirty laundry can be aired on the internet? And like the neurosurgeon said on television, we are respecting patient's privacy and therefore physician's privacy should also be protected. Providing medical care is a lot different than a contractor installing a wall wrong. A negative comment against a medical provider which often is unsubstantiated can ruin their carreer without any proof given. Also, how are you at Angie's list going to prove that a patient was actually seen in a specific doctor's office? And that the person doesn't just have a vendetta against the doctor for some other reason and just wants to ruin their life? Also, they may have a bill with the doctor they don't want to pay and are "getting back at the doctor" for it. Lastly, and this is what many patients do not want to hear...are the patients who are posting negative comments actually following the doctor's advice for their care, or have they been noncompliant and then want to blame the doctor for it. Just a few things to think about.
3/24/2009 2:58:36 AM
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L Benedict
Angie is providing the basis for a major thust to change our health care system to reflect the interst of PATIENTS, rather than than the interest of doctors and insurance companies.

For decades patients have had NO SAY in how US health care has evolved.

Doctors, pharmaceuticals companies and insurance companies have had for years, lobbyists in Congress and every State government to protct their interests, but patients have had no significant representation. Agie's list has now changed that. .

For years incompetent MDs have runined the lives of patients by providing poor quality of care. Many patients have won huge cash settlements against doctors in the courts, but doctors then responded by getting their lobby groups to pass state laws limiting the amount of damages that could be awarded.

Efforts to improve quality of care via Congressional legislation also have failed due to MD, DMD, pharmaceutical company intervention via lobbyist.

Viva Angie! Please make your doctor list a separate list, free to all !

Every patient who has received good care or poor care should be allowed to express their opinions
3/23/2009 1:19:28 PM
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Lou Godlin
For those living on Social Security and in need of medical care, too many MDs and DMDs are overly focused on insurance fees, not patient care.

I suggest patients ask MD and DMD "why" when they recommend anything not covered by insurance. Insurance companies dont cover expensive services that are of little value to patients.

Also, too many MDs and DMDs get big perks from drug companies that use them to "push" their big-profit drugs.

I worked for big pharmaceutical companies for years. The public would be outraged if details about perks MDs and DMDs received were released to the public.

Many are suffering due to the economic down turn, but MDs and DMDs are getting obscene salaries providing poor quality of care because Medicare and insurance companies pay MDs and DMDs the same amount of money for poor quality of care as they do for quality care.

Poor quality is cheaper for MDs and DMDs than quality care; thus, America's quality of care is among the poorest in the world and US MDs and DMDs oppose every effort to improve it. Check it out for yourself on Medicare's web site or the web in general.
3/23/2009 12:11:42 PM
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Dan Archer
Not only are there too many rip-off medical doctors, but they're are rip-off dentists...beware of the "our dental practice requires extra XRays"...this is a scam designed to rip-off patients and is often used by dentists accociate with a big corporation.
3/23/2009 11:40:47 AM
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Cassie
I am on your site right now because I wanted to comment on a physician's office that requires social security numbers to even make an appointment. This is insane! Then I found this article. Thank you Angie for shining the light on some of these issues!
3/17/2009 7:18:16 PM
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Cynthia Malowitz
Speaking of gag orders...I've got a good one for you. I'm a nurse practitioner and I used to work for a pain management doctor. I witnessed some very unethical practices while working there and I confronted him before I quit. A few days later, his wife e-mailed me a couple of excerpts from my contract. That was 2 years ago and so many things have happened since that time. Without going into detail, this man, his wife and his "company" are now suing me for TELLING THE TRUTH (I reported him to the medical board)! It's going to get dirty and I will take him down, I can promise you.

What's really amazing is the fact that these people think they are so POWERFUL! Do they read the newspapers - BILLIONAIRES are going to jail! Money doesn't always buy everything you want in life! Also, these stupid contracts are a complete joke. It's like Hitler having the Nazi's sign a contract and then suing them because they reported him him for killing Jews!
3/14/2009 4:45:49 PM
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MD
OK. Seems there's a lot of strong opinions out there. I'll share a few of my own. I am a physician and can understand both sides of the argument. Free speech is a fundamental right in this country, and should not be limited. However, this is a difficult issue, because I'd say that most lay people wouldn't know if they received good treatment or bad. Of course they would know if the doctors were rude, or didn't spend much time with them, but on the issue of actual medical care they would be lacking. All too often people think they didn't receive good medical care because they didn't get the antibiotics that they wanted for their cold, or they didn't get the referral they thought they needed, etc, etc, etc. As someone said earlier, people LOVE to talk when they think they've had a bad experience, but usually keep good experiences to themselves. Just a little food for thought...
3/13/2009 7:57:53 PM
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So Important
I am so glad that you have this available for the public. I had an absolute nightmare of an experience with a dentist in Lexington, KY. I don't want what happened to me to ever happen to anyone else.
3/12/2009 6:26:13 PM
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Angie's List Staff
Steve: Sure. Thanks for asking. This is a point we wish the news article had made more clearly. Angie’s List has long-established policies and procedures to allow users to present as much information about local service companies as possible. Those policies and procedures encourage service providers to respond to reports. When both sides can give their story, consumers are better off because they have that much more information to evaluate before making decisions.

The first time companies are reviewed on Angie’s List, we contact them to let them know about it. We then ask them to register (for free) with us on a special site where we can determine if they are who they say they are. They may then sign up to receive free notification when other reports about them and respond if they choose to do so. We do not put the companies in touch with our members, but Angie's List has a procedure which allows the companies to learn the name of the customer who posted the reports in question and to respond to the posted information. It is important for the protection of our members that companies respond by following our established procedures. We advise both members and service providers to try to work together first to resolve any conflicts, but we stand ready to help as well – at no cost to either side.

We make this practice clear in our membership agreement when members first sign up, and we remind them of it each time they file a report in case they forget. It serves as a small reminder to members that we demand accurate and fair reporting of their experiences and that we give the providers a way to respond.

We do this in an effort to be as fair to the service providers as possible. I hope that explains the issue.
3/12/2009 3:58:09 PM
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Angie's List Staff
Tony: Charging membership fees helps us ensure reliable data, provide actual staff support and gets members our award-winning monthly magazine, among other things.
3/12/2009 12:45:56 PM
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Tony
Why we have to pay for to review the information?
If we pay to review the information, do you pay us for information we provide to you on this website any service we used?

Thanks
3/12/2009 12:26:40 PM
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Steve
Angie - I've read in dozens of reports that if presented with a signed waiver, you will provide the identity to the doctor.

(Chicago Tribune...)
Angie's List's operators know the identities of users and warn them when they register that the site will share names with doctors if asked.

Can you please explain the rationale behind this?
3/11/2009 7:01:24 PM
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Alex
The sky is not falling. I have no problem with Dr.'s asking patients to keep their treatment to themselves. Most patients have absolutely no idea the kinds of pressures that Dr.'s face from insurance companies, group practice SOP's, etc...The fact is, and research data supports this, most consumers who have a good experience tell 2 people, people who have a bad experience tell 14. Think about that when you read the postings on this or any other site. For the most part, you will only see the best of the best in terms of good reviews, and a much larger sum of the bad/mixed reviews.
3/10/2009 11:17:06 AM
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Angie's List Staff
Thanks for the comment, Angie! Just to clarify:
To avoid any confusion, all comments on Angie's Blog from The Angie (Angie Hicks) or Angie's List staff will be clearly noted.
3/10/2009 10:05:16 AM
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angie
If you can read a review about a book, resturaunt or movie, why shouldn't you be able to read reviews about more important things....doctors? All fields have quality assurance, why are doctor's taking this only form of accountablity away. For those that think there is something wrong with voicing a negative opinion about a doctor, have never been abused or treated poorly.
3/9/2009 6:05:37 PM
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anonMD
Years ago, doctors had the opportunity to build relationships with their patients. Today insurance drives patient's choices, so doctors are much more vulnerable to negative comments, which the internet makes public to the world.

Since we live in a world where 1st Amendment rights are trampled every day by employers and the government, many physicians believe (shortsightedly) that they can and should use the same repression to protect themselves. Big brother is already here in the form of companies that fire employees for speaking "without authorization", government agencies that refuse to allow employees (whose salary WE pay) to speak publicly, education systems that censor both faculty and students from voicing criticism and court systems which seal verdicts and settlements routinely, despite the fact that they are public business. The actions of these physicians are merely reflections of the repression we live with every day, and I think the issue would be better served by examining our whole cultural attitude towards allowing, and tolerating, the regulation of speech rather than focusing solely upon physicians. We are an easy target because our moral codes make retaliation difficult, but we're not the source of the badness here.
3/9/2009 5:25:07 PM
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Inge
Before you post something you should contact the Dr. so he can tell his side of the story
3/9/2009 4:31:07 PM
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Lee Jones
There is very little TRUE accountability for how the patient is treated by the M.D. - the crappy bedside manner, arrogance, "the rush" in and out without addressing medical issues adequately etc. Time for patients to be empowered and have a REAL voice. It's the doctors who have something to worry about who are pro gag order. That's ridiculous. Let them gag their own mouths for a change. Money talks, as usual.
3/9/2009 2:25:17 PM
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Angie's List Staff
William and no midazolam-
At Angie's List, reviews aren’t anonymous. We, and the doctor (or plumber, or roofer, etc.) being reviewed, know exactly who submitted the report. All service providers are encouraged to respond to reports. If something seems fishy, they can alert us and we'll look into it. Also, no service provider is allowed to self-report. If we catch it, they're taken off the List.
3/9/2009 2:22:17 PM
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Carol Martin
I applaud Angies List for giving patients the opportunity to post reviews of their doctors. Our health is the most important thing in our life and we should be able to alert other people of any horrendous experience we have had from any doctor. This is two-sided. A person can post a good review as well as a bad review. It is too obvious that some doctors have some things to hide if they are insisting that a patient sign a gag order. GO ANGIE!
3/9/2009 2:00:45 PM
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Pam Shields, Psy.D.
Privacy is a patient's right, not a doctor's right. I would urge anyone whose doctor wants them to sign a waiver, to find another doctor. Doctors who who want patients to sign waivers may have something to hide. When people rate doctors, they are putting pressure on doctors to treat their patients more respectfully. I hope this may go to court so that these "waivers" are ruled as unlawful and unconstitutional.
3/9/2009 1:48:03 PM
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no midazolam
What stops the Doctors from posting phony superlative reviews on THEMSELVES!!! Why would anybody put a review up when they never went to see the Doctor? Is this something that has been proven to happen? People are going through their phone book and putting up negative reviews on all the names in there? I will tell you this. I put up a bad review on the quack that did my surgery and guess what? He either straightened up his act or he posted a review himself... I *hope* he realized what he did and took steps to make sure this didn't happen to anybody else.
3/9/2009 1:07:08 PM
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William B Hamilton
What keeps people from saying negative remarks about a Dr. when he or she has never been to him. I think you are off the mark!!
3/9/2009 12:25:42 PM
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Jeff McCauley
Hey Doctors, I'll happily post my name, no problem. I'll sign a non-disclosure agreement at the same time that you, the Physician, sign an agreement not to report my consumer activity to the credit bureaus or my medical information to the medical information bureaus.

Whaz dat? No quid pro quo? Well, then screw you too, bonecrunchers. I hope Angie runs your pitiful behind up the flag pole.
3/9/2009 12:08:39 PM
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