It is a common human perception to avail the best doctors and care providers for our families and off course to ourselves. However, it so happens that at times, even our acquaintances are not able to give the best advice, hence two doctors, Dr. Gerry Lake-Bakaar and John Brancaccio, in the US have up with an innovative idea to solve this dilemma.
They have initiated a site called Findadoc.com. This provides free access to over 720,000 doctors in the U.S. and said by the doctors themselves, finding the right doctor, is the gateway to best hospitals and to the best care.
Lately, we have the opportunity of getting the doctors interviewed, so here we present before you the exchange of ideas.
1. How did the idea behind FindaDoc originated?
The original Findadoc.com was launched on the web in 1992 as a Directory for Physicians and Dentists. As you may be aware, that idea has since been copied by multiple other websites.
The new Findadoc.com, launched in late 2006, is the brain-child of my partner, John Brancaccio and I, and offers patients something significantly more than just a listing of physicians and dentists. We offer a proprietary rating system that ranks doctors based on Training, Experience and Expertise. The site also allows patients to rate doctors’ care, namely Bedside Manner, Wait Time, and Overall Satisfaction. Doctors receive an overall numerical score out of 100 with category ratings represented by red checks. The rating system is fair and transparent and ratings are recorded in real time.
As practicing physicians, we are very much aware that all doctors, like lawyers, accountants and dare I say, fine vintage wines, are not created equal! FindaDoc is a genuine attempt to help the discerning patients select their doctor, based on quality.
2. FindaDoc provides free access to over 720,000 doctors in the U.S. Do you have any plans of expanding your sphere, I mean including profiles of doctors worldwide with proper segregation. The idea of connecting doctors to millions of patients beyond boundaries seems more feasible, what do you say?
Yes, in the immediate future we plan to include a listing of approximately 100,000 US dentists. We are also in the process of adding US trained doctors that are practicing abroad. Health care delivery is moving globally. Patients are prepared to travel large distances in search of the best value. We have already witnessed this in Europe and China.
We will then expand to doctors in Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.
3. FindaDoc, no doubt is a noble and wonderful idea, however, don’t you think it undermines the credibility of a doctor, as patients have to rely on the so-called “word of mouth recommendations with numerical ratings”? How can a patient rely on the ratings, keeping in mind that it’s open to everybody and can even be misused?
As I mentioned, the ratings scale is not based on patients’ ‘word of mouth’. On the contrary, it is a novel, proprietary system that is largely based on an algorithm determined by training, experience and expertise. You will notice that a physician who attended one of the best medical schools; did a residency at one of the best hospitals; and works at an institution ranked as one of the best in the country will rate a high score. However, we fully realize, that the best-educated physician may not have the best bedside manner and that there is a need for patient and peer input. Patients and peers can change the doctor’s rating in real time – up or down. However, different categories have different weightings. Furthermore, patients and peers can log on to the doctor’s profile once only, minimizing ‘misuse’. We also utilize weighted averages in our proprietary rating system, in our effort to provide patients and doctors with reliable ratings.
4. Are the listings of featured doctors based on ratings? If not, why should a patient search in featured section when he know that doctors have ‘paid’ to get themselves listed there?
A search for doctors in any demographic or specialty area brings up all the doctors in that category. The featured doctors are merely ‘featured’ at the top of the list. They are also offered more space to advertise their practice. Their featured status does not influence their rating.
Our Featured Doctor offering works much the same way that a Sponsored Listing for Paid Search on either Google or Yahoo works. Our system is open and transparent with ‘Featured Doctors’ always being clearly tagged ‘Sponsored Listing” or ‘Featured’
5. Instead of giving doctors’ a simple static profile page, don’t you think it would be more conducive to introduce them a dynamic page where patients can do many other things like commenting or asking for suggestions, just like a blog. It would indeed bolster the interaction between patients and doctors. Isn’t it?
Patients can ‘Post a Message’ for individual doctors – commenting on exceptional care or for that matter poor care. This link is found on all 720,000 doctor’s profile page, or can be found in our Blogs/Message Board page.
In addition, Findadoc plans to open a number of interactive forum – blogs; support groups etc. However, there are certain legal obstacles to offering medical advice or diagnosis via a blog or email. That being said, we are at the very beginning of rolling out some very interesting features for both our users and doctors. Please continue to watch us as we evolve and develop!
6. Is there any probability of overrating the profile of doctors?
The only way for this to occur is if a doctor provided false information while updating their profile – ie lying about where they attended medical school, fellowship, or hospital affiliation. We have various systems in place to verify all data against the FindaDoc database. If a doctor does provide wrong information, we contact the doctor in question to make sure it was an honest mistake. If we determine that the doctor’s sole purpose was to elevate their findadoc score, there profile will be pulled and possibly given a ‘Not Rated’ label.
Incomplete information on the other hand can ‘underrate’ the findadoc score. We urge doctors to continuously monitor and update their profiles
7. What will FindaDoc morph into after, say, five years, any future plans?
Five years from today, our goal is for the Findadoc rating to be a household name in hundreds of countries. FindaDoc will be the definitive patient resource for finding and interacting with doctors, morphing into a vibrant healthcare community in the US and the rest of the world.
Finally, we’d like to thank Dr. Gerry Lake-Bakaar in responding to our queries and would like to wish them luck in their future endeavor!