Today, when any information is a click away, choosing a doctor becomes a calculated decision in which transparency and real experiences shared by other patients matter a lot.
A survey conducted by Queen Mary Health Networkon a sample of 2,606 peopleshows that choosing a doctor no longer depends only on how quickly he can provide a consultation or how close the clinic is. Increasingly, the decisive criterion is the review displayed on the website – a simple but powerful indicator of the perceived quality through the eyes of those who have already passed through the office.
Doctor’s note, more valuable than distance or waiting time
For 1,112 of the survey respondents, or more than 42%, the doctor’s note carries more weight than the distance they have to travel to the clinic or how quickly they can be scheduled. In an era where every choice is carefully weighed, patients want to be treated by well-regarded doctors they can trust.
Survey data shows that 49% of respondents always check the doctor’s note before the appointment, 40% consult it from time to timewhile only 11% never consider it. More than that, 48% of patients find reviews “very important”and another 44% perceive them as “quite important”. In an ever-changing medical landscape, these figures tell a clear story: the voice of the patient is becoming an increasingly valuable tool.
Beyond the review on the Regina Maria website, patients who have benefited from at least one service in the network mention two more reasons that influence their decision, but to a lesser extent: recommendations from friends or family (19%), recommendations from the family doctor or other specialists (17%).
Overall, these responses indicate that people need validation, whether digital or in person, before going to the doctor. Information is power, but also safety when it comes to your own health.
1 million real reviews, a unique and transparent feedback system
What makes this doctor’s note relevant? The fact that it comes from patients who have passed through the doctor’s office. For the past 10 years, Queen Mary has collected patient feedback through a fully automated system with no human selections or filters. To date, they have been collected over 1 million reviews
– turning this mechanism into a authentic barometer of the quality of the medical act.
After each consultation – physical or virtual – the patient receives an evaluation form by e-mail or in the mobile application, in which aspects such as: waiting time, the way the recommendations were explained, the doctor’s empathy or the degree of involvement are scored. The doctor’s final score is updated in real time and becomes public only after accumulating a minimum of 10 ratings – to reflect a true and relevant image.
The level of satisfaction is, moreover, remarkable: the overall rating average is 9.65up from the previous year (9.56). More, only 5 out of 1,000 reviews are negative – a clear indicator of the quality of the medical act and the trust gained.
Today’s patient wants more than treatment: he wants listening, trust, transparency
Patients come to the doctor much more informed and with a real desire to understand what is happening to them. The Internet gives them access to various sources, but what really guides them today is the direct experiences of other patients.
In this context, the doctor becomes not only a specialist who makes a diagnosis, but a reliable partner who explains, answers and encourages the involvement of the patient. And when he feels listened to and informed, he becomes more motivated to comply with treatment and monitor his long-term health status.
At the same time, this active involvement contributes to the creation of a virtuous circle of feedback: documented and engaged patients share their experiences in a detailed and useful way, helping other patients to make better choices.
