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This article was published more than 5 years ago.

This is an excerpt from Second Opinion, a weekly roundup of eclectic and under-the-radar health and medical science news emailed to subscribers every Saturday morning. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Did that doctor pay to hide some bad reviews on RateMDs, the online physician rating system? You wouldn't know. Nor would you know if a doctor hired a reputation management service to boost the volume of positive reviews. Online reputation management is an emerging industry with companies offering a variety of services to professionals who find themselves ranked on rating sites with no ability to opt out and with no control over the anonymous comments that can affect their reputation.

Ratemds ca

The operator of RateMDs. This Report of Findings concerns a complaint made by a dentist practicing in British Columbia against the operator of the website RateMDs. The Complainant claimed that RateMDs is using her personal information without her consent, by featuring her name and allowing anonymous users to post reviews and ratings concerning her work as a dentist. However, we are satisfied that the information is publicly available within the meaning of the regulations under the Act and therefore, could be collected, used and disclosed by RateMDs without consent. With respect to the reviews and ratings of the Complainant, they represent the personal information of both the Complainant and the individuals who posted them. This is a feature of many rating sites offered on the Internet for goods and services. Although we make a number of findings below, these are imperfect, as PIPEDA is ill-suited to regulate these types of services, which place privacy rights and other interests of different individuals in opposition to one another. We note that our findings would not apply in the same way to sites that rate the services of companies, to the extent that these sites do not involve personal information. Regarding consent, because the reviews and ratings of the Complainant represent the personal information of both the Complainant and the individuals who posted them, PIPEDA would seem to require the consent of both parties to authorize RateMDs to publish these reviews and ratings. However, where the interests of individuals conflict, this will rarely be possible. Federal Court jurisprudence holds that in these circumstances, PIPEDA requires a balancing of interests, which involves the consideration of the interests of both individuals as well as the public interest. We also find there is a public interest in the publication of reviews that serve the public by informing their decisions about whether or not to engage the services of certain health professionals. However, the Complainant also has a reasonable expectation of privacy in the circumstances, including an interest in protecting her reputation and capacity to earn a livelihood. Were the reviews about her to contain inaccurate or incomplete information about her, they would violate the protection of these interests.

Forman's company advertises its service to doctors with the line: "Reclaim your reputation.

Federal government websites often end in. The site is secure. An American Web site that lets patients post anonymous comments about their physicians online appears to have become wildly popular in Canada in recent months. But it's provoking both fear and threats of legal action from the medical community north of the border. California-based RateMDs. The Web site owners use the information to assign a physician rating out of a maximum total of 5 that it publishes online alongside user comments, varying from the impeccably flattering to the blisteringly negative. Founded 3 years ago by John Swapceinski, the free site recently gained popularity after a burst of media attention.

Founded in , it has gained popularity as a platform for patients to research and share their experiences about healthcare providers. The site is free to use for both consumers and doctors. However, in August , RateMDs. This change effectively ended the practice of healthcare providers being able to pay to hide ratings. RateMDs does not work with reputation management or rating removal companies. While RateMDs has become a valuable resource for patients seeking information about new or existing healthcare providers, the website has faced criticism and controversy in the past. RateMDs allows users to rate doctors anonymously.

Ratemds ca

Providing the diagnosis for doctors! With over 2. When it comes to your health, finding the right doctor and having your say should only be a click away. RateMDs gives patients and medical professionals a voice, helping connect healthcare providers and facilities with those in need of medical care. RateMDs provides information, reviews and ratings on everything from cleanliness of hospital and care center facilities, to physician knowledge, as well as giving patients the ability to share their own personal experiences. The ratings platform and doctor search allow you to locate specialists in your area and get informed through other patients' experiences and testimonials. Whether you're looking for a new Family Doctor, General Practitioner, or you're seeking a specialist like a Dentist or Neurologist, we've got you covered. Browse our extensive database of health providers and the latest news, tips, and trends from the world of health and wellness on the RateMDs Health News Blog. By patients, for patients When it comes to your health, finding the right doctor and having your say should only be a click away. Health from A-Z Browse our extensive database of health providers and the latest news, tips, and trends from the world of health and wellness on the RateMDs Health News Blog.

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Copy Download. Bernier said there is a need to examine the legislative tools that will be required to manage those competing ethical issues. Were the reviews about her to contain inaccurate or incomplete information about her, they would violate the protection of these interests. This can result in ratings which appear to the doctor to be unfair or inaccurate [6]. However, where the interests of individuals conflict, this will rarely be possible. We note that our findings would not apply in the same way to sites that rate the services of companies, to the extent that these sites do not involve personal information. This plan includes a variety of features, including the "Ratings Manager" which affords doctors the option to hide multiple negative reviews. The star rating of the deleted post is still included in the average. This service eliminates the ability of subscribers to hide any reviews from the website. In the middle of all of that a sales representative from RateMDs contacted him offering "reputation management tools" for a fee.

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In addition, Canadian courts make no distinction between libel published in a newspaper or online. Special to The Globe and Mail. We agree that this can also be the case in the context of reviews on RateMDs, but note that s. I think university professors and medical doctors have one thing in common, some of the biggest egos in the world. Log In Create Free Account. However, given that accuracy was not raised as a concern in this matter, and in the absence of evidence from the Complainant regarding the accuracy of the information posted about her, we do not opine further on the fairness of the process. State of California. This article was published more than 5 years ago. People have to feel very strongly — either for or against — to make the effort to express their views in an online forum. Federal government websites often end in. He later realized that a disgruntled ex-boyfriend of his secretary had posted them. Organizations that use the personal information of individuals must make clear that individuals may request a correction or amendment to information about themselves, where they believe that information to be inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date. This is a feature of many rating sites offered on the Internet for goods and services.