For the study, researchers examined 1,891 patient reviews for 1,259 radiologists retrieved from the website RateMDs. Patients rated their radiologist on a scale of one to five (five being excellent and one being terrible) across four categories: staff, punctuality, knowledge and helpfulness.
Analysis revealed 62.7 to 74.3 percent of patients issued a score of five for their radiologist. However, 13.5 to 20.4 percent of patients scored a one, making it the second most common rating. Researchers identified a strong correlation between scores across categories, suggesting the presence of a halo effect influencing overall patient perceptions of radiologists,
“Patients usually don’t have neutral opinions about their radiologists,” said Richard Duszak, MD, one of the study’s authors and a professor and vice chair for health policy and practice in the department of radiology and imaging sciences at Emory University in Atlanta. “The message here is an important one: when we make an impression, either good or bad, patients will react accordingly.”
More articles on physician issues:
Massachusetts AG teams up with medical society to offer physicians educational resources on gun safety
Rude surgeons may also be most hazardous: 5 study findings to know
Mercy Health inks deal with Michigan Medicine to improve cardiac care
