On average, male providers receive higher star ratings in online reviews than female providers, according to a report published Jan. 28 by Healthgrades and the Medical Group Management Association.
The 2020 Patient Sentiment Report analyzed 2.4 million text reviews on Healthgrades' website as of Dec. 1, 2019, and classified the data by six content-based themes.
Five key findings:
1. Factors patients wrote the most about were bedside manner, communication, skill and care quality, staff, visit time, and wait time.
2. Patients mentioned wait time, visit time and office staff up to three times more often in negative reviews than in positive reviews.
3. When reviewing female providers, patients commented more often on bedside manner, communication and visit time. Reviews of male providers focused more on skill and care quality.
4. Providers in New Jersey and Idaho were among the highest-rated in the U.S., while providers in Maine and West Virginia received some of the lowest ratings.
5. Reviews in Southern states had higher average ratings than those in other areas of the U.S.