Assessing extremely negative online patient reviews and complaints of musculoskeletal oncology surgeons in the United States: a retrospective analysis.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101265112 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1749-799X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1749799X NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Orthop Surg Res Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, 2006-

Internet*; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; United States ; Patient Satisfaction ; Surgeons ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Male ; Medical Oncology

Introduction: Physician-review websites (PRWs) are commonly used by patients while searching for a surgeon. There is no current literature investigating the factors that contribute to online one-star reviews of musculoskeletal oncology surgeons. This retrospective study aims to identify these factors to determine areas of care affecting patient's subjective reviews.
Methods: Patient ratings and comments regarding musculoskeletal oncology surgeons from the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) were collected from Vitals.com. One-star reviews with comments were then classified as either operative or nonoperative. These complaints were then further classified based on content including wait time, uncontrolled pain, time spent with the physician, surgical outcomes, medical staff/institutional complaints, and bedside manner.
Results: A total of 169 reviews (375 complaints) from 181 physicians were included. Of these complaints, 198 were from patients in the operative category while 177 were from patients in the nonoperative category. Bedside manner was the most common complaint. Operative patients reported higher instances of uncontrolled pain in their reviews, whereas nonoperative patients more frequently cited wait time. No significant difference in the complaints that mentioned the amount of time spent with the physician, bedside manner, a disagreement with the plan, or the medical staff or institution was found.
Conclusion: Online one-star reviews of musculoskeletal oncology surgeons on Vitals.com referenced both surgical and non-surgical aspects of patient encounters, with bedside manner being the most popular complaint overall. Surgical patients were more likely to complain of uncontrolled pain whereas non-operative patients were more likely to complain of wait time.
Type of Study: Outcomes 2c.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Consumer preference; Decision making preference; Online reviews; Patient satisfaction; Physician review websites

Date Created: 20240723 Date Completed: 20240724 Latest Revision: 20240727

20240727

PMC11265366

10.1186/s13018-024-04881-y

39044200