Doctors upset by online ratings given advice by MDU
Worries about negative online comments is a small, but growing area of concern for Medical Defence Union members.
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has issued advice to the increasing number of doctors distressed by negative reviews on online ratings sites. Over the last 12 months, the MDU, the UK’s leading medical defence organisation, has assisted 24 members who were concerned about critical comments made by patients in online reviews. While the numbers are small, this is a growing area of calls to the MDU. New US research shows that over three quarters of doctors are stressed by online criticism.
The Harvard Medical School study, which surveyed 828 doctors and 494 patients from four hospitals across Massachusetts, found:
- 78% of doctors thought the possibility of negative online comments added to the stress of their job
- 46% said online rating websites could harm the doctor/patient relationship
Options for dealing with criticism online include:
- responding positively to the comment - asking the person to get in touch directly to raise concerns, while respecting patient confidentiality.
- complaining to the website and/or asking for the offending information to be removed
- using the 'right to be forgotten online' to remove the page from search results
However, Dr Ellie Mein, MDU medico-legal adviser notes:
“You must not overlook patient confidentiality when engaging with unhappy patients via social media. Responding to critical comments or attempting to have them removed can often be risky, counterproductive and add “fuel to the fire.” Instead we would strongly suggest members contacting the MDU directly for advice. Our dedicated press team are available round the clock to answer any questions you may have.”
Case study
A patient posted a negative review of a GP practice on a public online review page. The review said that it was impossible to get an appointment and that when the patient was seen, the GP, who was named, was very rude. The practice initially ignored the comments but other comments were posted over a number of days culminating with a person saying he ‘wanted to punch’ the named GP for how he had been treated.
The MDU advised the practice that they could post a comment inviting the patient to raise concerns directly with the practice via its complaints procedure. The GP who had been threatened in the later post felt understandably upset about the comment and reported it to the website. It was later removed, although the original discussion remained.
The Harvard research follows the recent launch of NHS England’s new free, confidential mental health service for GPs. The service was established as GPs are under intense pressure from increasing workloads, patient demands and expectations.
You can find out more about dealing with online criticism here:
https://www.themdu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/dealing-with-online-criticism
