The North Shore-LIJ Health System has become the first major medical group in the New York metropolitan area to publish patient reviews of its physicians online.
Posted through the health system’s “Find a Doctor” web page, the reviews were made available Thursday and compiled from more than 500,000 surveys of more than 900 doctors that have been conducted by the Indiana firm Press Ganey.
“This new site is truly the voice of the patients,” said Dr. Ira Nash, the senior vice president and executive direct of the North Shore-LIJ Medical Group and a practicing cardiologist. “It’s a trusted source of information on our doctors, as compared to comments and ratings on other physician review websites that can’t be verified.”
The reviews contain ratings and comments and are limited only to health system patients, unlike services like Yelp and Healthgrade, through which patients and non-patients alike may post commentary about a doctor.
Ratings of specialists or medical professionals at inpatient facilities are not included on the site.
Ratings cover a range of metrics, including a physician’s friendliness, their concern and effort for a patient and the degree of confidence a patient would place in that physician.
It was unclear whether Press Ganey, which is certified by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would publish reviews critical of health system personnel.
A phone message left for a North Shore-LIJ spokesman was not immediately returned.
In a news release issued Thursday, health system officials said the program’s goal was to promote transparency between its doctors and prospective patients.
“We recognize that patients have many options for their care. We also believe that a positive patient-physician dynamic is central to great care,” Nash said. “By being transparent with our patient satisfaction ratings, we are providing our patients with validated information that helps them choose the physicians that best meets their needs.”
