title: Patients' use of social media: e-rating of doctors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients are increasingly posting online reviews about their medical care, including rating their doctors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article discusses patients' use of social media to comment on and 'rate' their medical care, with a particular focus on what a general practitioner (GP) can do about a negative online review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vast majority of online reviews about doctors are positive. However, the small proportion of negative online reviews can be a source of great distress to those doctors who are the subject of these reviews. GPs should seek advice before considering whether or not to respond to a negative online review.
authors.affiliation: MBBS, MFM(clin), FRACGP, is Manager, Medico-Legal and Advisory Services, MDA National.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bird
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D061108:Social Media