Have you Googled yourself lately? Do you know what your current web presence looks like? Odds are, even if you haven’t, your patients have. They know what your research is about, where you trained, and they know if you’ve had happy or unsatisfied patients who have taken their voice to the internet.
“I truly wish I had never seen him.” “He is the best of the best in what he does.” “I do not trust him anymore.” “He and his staff are outstanding.” These are all reviews for the same surgeon. This individual carries multiple accolades of professional accomplishment from key leadership positions to “Best Doctor” titles from city, state and national polls. As the surgeon, how can you defend yourself against harsh criticism which may be out there? How can you ensure the data reflect the care that you provide? And in the academic setting, what if the review focuses on the role of trainees in care delivery?
Public reporting of outcomes can be of benefit to both physician and patient alike, by providing objective data. However, patients must be able to understand the data and consider the source. We know it takes a team to care for a surgical patient and the time has come to make sure the public understands the roles of the individual team members.
Learn to manage your internet presence and safeguard academic surgery against public scrutiny. Join us at the Issues Committee Session at the 2015 Academic Surgical Congress on Tuesday Feb 3 11:30am 1pm where we will delve into the issues of public reporting, both in its current format of patient reporting sites as well as where we anticipate and/or need it to go.