While Iowa patients expect their doctors to have their best interests in mind, there are some doctors who do not listen to their patients or who do not provide appropriate service. Some patients who did not like the service that they received may turn to leaving negative reviews online. According to an investigation by USA Today, some doctors are fighting these negative patient reviews by filing lawsuits.
One example included a case where a physician sued a former patient after she posted a negative review about the doctor’s practice. A hospital filed a lawsuit against an elderly patient’s family members after they left a negative Facebook post and picketed at the front of the hospital. The family members had claimed that the hospital mistreated the elderly patient. A third case resulted in a financial settlement after a patient sent emails threatening to leave a post on Yelp that detailed all of the surgeries the doctor had scheduled at the same time the patient’s surgery was completed.
While doctors certainly have a right to respond to negative reviews, patients should also have a reliable reporting system as these reviews allow other patients to get information about a specific doctor that may not otherwise be available. This information could include the doctor’s professionalism, their bedside manner and the outcomes of the procedures, including any medical mistakes that may have been made.
Medical errors can leave a patient with severe complications that could potentially be permanent. While it is always recommended that patients do their research when it comes to choosing a doctor for a major procedure, some information may simply not be available due to the lack of a secure reporting system. If a patient is harmed by surgical error or other mistake, a medical malpractice attorney may help that patient seek compensation for the losses that have been incurred.