Chicago Tribune reporter Julie Deardorff had a great blog post yesterday about checking out online doctor reviews from Angie's List and other medical rating sites. 

Julie mentions the information she personally found useful about a doctor she chose to visit--that the doctor was interested in cycling and Lance Armstrong--wasn't necessarily information that was going to be useful to everyone, but, because Julie wanted to exercise during her pregnancy, it was a bonding element for her.

That is a perfect example of why we so highly value the information our members share with each other, and I'm glad she's going to add it to a review of that doctor. Interesting bits of information, no matter how strange they may seem to some, can really help other readers make an informed hiring decision.

Julie does, however, point out that with few reviews on each individual practitioner, it's hard to feel like you're getting enough information. She's right. And, with that, I'm happy to say that monthly medical report acquisition on Angie's List has more than doubled since fall, but we need to keep up the pace if we're going to be able to offer the most value. Keep those reports coming!