How to Search a Physician's Rating

If you are searching for a new physician, it is always a good idea to know how a specific doctor is rated by his patients. You can obtain pertinent rankings and reviews online, which allows you to make an informed decision on which doctor to see. You can also post reviews, based on your own experiences with a health care professional. If you are looking for a new physician, the health care rating sites provide a useful tool. Before you know it, you will have located a physician who can potentially meet your needs.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a list of physicians you want to search online. Include a zip code to make your search easier. A few suggested websites for finding a physician's rating include "Vitals", "HealthGrades" and "RateMDs."

• 2

  Search on the site "Vitals" for physicians' ratings. This site allows you to rate a doctor, find a doctor and to check up on a specific doctor. To check up on a doctor, you only need the doctor's name and the location, meaning the state or zip code. After you fill in the required information, select the option "check up now." The search results are then displayed, allowing you to confirm if it is the correct doctor. You then are taken to a screen where you agree to the terms of use. If you agree, select that option and you will be provided with detailed information on your physician. Included details are contact information, board certification, a star rating system from other patients, detailed reviews from patients, length of wait at the office, hospital affiliation and medical school. No fee is required to access any of this information.

• 3

  Check out the site "RateMDs," which is another free site. Fill out the name of the doctor you are seeking and the region. Select "find doctor." Your search results are then displayed. This search feature allows you to locate physicians and dentists. You can read a rating or rate the doctor yourself. You also have the ability to view maps, contact and any medical board information. If you do not recall the name of a doctor, you can also perform a general search on the main page by filling in a zip code. Unlike the search by name feature, the site indicates searching by zip code is limited to family doctors.

• 4

  Review the "HealthGrades" website. The main page indicates you can obtain doctor, hospital and nursing home ratings. Select "doctor's ratings" on the page. Fill in the last name of the physician, specialty, state and the city. Then click on "find a doctor." The search results are then displayed for you. You are able to view the profile, which includes full name, specialty, address and contact information. Ratings are available free of charge. After paying a fee, you can perform a background check. The background check would show you any disciplinary actions against the physician and the actual board certification the physician holds in the state.

• 5

  Contact the medical board in your state if you have a specific concern. A link to the Federation of State Medical Boards is listed in the Resources section. It provides contact information by state for each medical board.