Online physician reviews are increasingly utilized for healthcare provider selection, yet the impact of inherent characteristics like gender and years of experience on these ratings remains uncertain. Conflicting studies suggest that while some report negative descriptors for female doctors, others find higher satisfaction with them. Similarly, the influence of experience on patient satisfaction reveals that newer physicians often receive higher ratings. A detailed analysis of 38,008 online reviews from 350 general dermatology providers across 121 accredited academic programs in the U.S. found no significant differences in quantitative ratings between male and female physicians. However, females tended to receive more positive qualitative comments about time spent with patients. Physicians with 6-10 years of experience generally received the highest ratings across multiple categories, including overall rating, promptness, and time with patients. These findings suggest that younger, less experienced physicians may effectively leverage patient interactions, possibly due to increased awareness of the influence of social media and online reviews.

Reference: Trager MH, Queen D, Fan W, Samie FH. Patient Satisfaction of General Dermatologists: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of 38,008 Online Reviews by Gender and Years of Experience. JID Innov. 2021 Dec 10;2(2):100089. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100089. PMID: 35141698; PMCID: PMC8814819.