Should we rate Clinics and Doctors like ebay

[Mop]

When we buy something from ebay - we rate the transaction to help others, sometimes to promote a seller and sometimes to make sure nobody else buys crap off them and gets ripped off ! Unlike ebay where we can write off a few badly spent pounds, the investment in HT runs into many thousands and our health !

 

I guess we could do the same with HT Clinics, it is easy for a Clinic to do 1000 ops and publish the best 20 results on a website. The other 980 ( bad ones ) remain off the net amd people assume its a great place.

 

The only way we can ensure that the best and consistent Clinics and Doctors remain is to weed out the poor ones. Not everyone wants to publish photos and blogs because it is a confidential and personal matter.

 

However, we could have a scoring system to support our words , for example :-

 

a) Customer Care

b) Experience on the day of Op

c) Pre - instructions

d) Post Instructions

e) Results after 9 months

f) Results after 12 months

g) Scar healing

 

We score each area with marks out of ten, we add commentary and before/after pics to back up what we say. It could be very valuable feedback to Clinics.

 

I have a strong desire to help others make the best decision and promotional photos, great websites are one thing but you cant beat direct customer feedback.

 

 

I appreciate Pat and Bill do an outstanding job visiting Clinics and checking standards but I think a visit can be like a Job Interview - some Clinics can give a very polished and accomplished account of themselfs on the day whilst under scrutiny.

 

When I read something written saying I am "satisfied" or "happy" - I sometimes wonder how satisfied or how happy - a scoring system is one way to measure that. I use a website called TripAdvisor for booking hotels and they use a scoring system, which is I find invaluable.

[Mop]

When we buy something from ebay - we rate the transaction to help others, sometimes to promote a seller and sometimes to make sure nobody else buys crap off them and gets ripped off ! Unlike ebay where we can write off a few badly spent pounds, the investment in HT runs into many thousands and our health !

 

I guess we could do the same with HT Clinics, it is easy for a Clinic to do 1000 ops and publish the best 20 results on a website. The other 980 ( bad ones ) remain off the net amd people assume its a great place.

 

The only way we can ensure that the best and consistent Clinics and Doctors remain is to weed out the poor ones. Not everyone wants to publish photos and blogs because it is a confidential and personal matter.

 

However, we could have a scoring system to support our words , for example :-

 

a) Customer Care

b) Experience on the day of Op

c) Pre - instructions

d) Post Instructions

e) Results after 9 months

f) Results after 12 months

g) Scar healing

 

We score each area with marks out of ten, we add commentary and before/after pics to back up what we say. It could be very valuable feedback to Clinics.

 

I have a strong desire to help others make the best decision and promotional photos, great websites are one thing but you cant beat direct customer feedback.

 

 

I appreciate Pat and Bill do an outstanding job visiting Clinics and checking standards but I think a visit can be like a Job Interview - some Clinics can give a very polished and accomplished account of themselfs on the day whilst under scrutiny.

 

When I read something written saying I am "satisfied" or "happy" - I sometimes wonder how satisfied or how happy - a scoring system is one way to measure that. I use a website called TripAdvisor for booking hotels and they use a scoring system, which is I find invaluable.

[thanatopsis_awry]

You make some interesting points, and I wouldn't mind seeing the "system" in mind played out to see how it'd go. I will say, though, that I find the clinics who have risen to the challenge of posting transparent results of ultra-refined work really do seem to be showcasing true representations of their work -- as opposed to like rare, cherry-picked results. That this might not be the case used to be a concern of mine.

 

One of the best things about this community is the *lack* of hype, and a realism about the HT field that is veryvery rare to come by. This keeps the clinics and docs on their toes, in a good, honest sense. It's not too uncommon for a "WOW" result to be buffered by the doctor himself saying that the result might not be typical for a variety of potential reasons; likewise, doctors have posted and openly discussed cases that are far from being instantly impressive.

 

Your research shouldn't stop within this forum itself, either; once here you can smoothly branch into consultations with elite docs and talking to and meeting patients, which is really indispensible.

 

Also, no matter how particular a patient gets about their level of satisfaction -- be it a 1, 5, or 10 -- it's still so so subjective. You make a vital point about what does "satisfied" really meen, with regard to our own selves. Using this forum while trusting our own eyes, surveying clear pics and video, and ideally seeing patients in the flesh will be the best combo, IMO.

[Leeson]

I list my surgeons in my signature with a rating. So, if you see butcher/Freddy Kruger as my rating, draw your own conclusions.

[Mop]

thanatopsis_awry - You make some really valid points in your response. Many things are subjective as you say.

 

Leeson - looks like you are one step ahead of the game already - just wondering the difference between not happy and negative ?

 

I guess what I think the scoring system should be is an agregate of various criteria. It would be good to benchmark for comparison, using my criteria (a) to (g) above with a big weighting on final result, then we could say ( hypothetically ):-

 

a) Doctor A based in New York, 156 results posted in last year, average score 9.0

b) Doctor B based in Seattle, 78 results posted in last year, average score 8.1

c) Doctor C based in India, 55 results posted in Last year, average score 8.8

d) Doctor D based in Alaska - 63 results posted in Last year, average score 5.6

 

Whilst A,B,C would indicate high standards and results - you would avoid D ! Even if he has posted a few good results, is a member of the coalition, member of ISHRS, has a great CV and impressive website.

 

Just an idea, I am day 7 after my HT ( happy so far ) and obviously alot of time on my hands in my personal downtime !

[Speegs]

Originally posted by Mop:

thanatopsis_awry - You make some really valid points in your response. Many things are subjective as you say.

 

Leeson - looks like you are one step ahead of the game already - just wondering the difference between not happy and negative ?

 

I guess what I think the scoring system should be is an agregate of various criteria. It would be good to benchmark for comparison, using my criteria (a) to (g) above with a big weighting on final result, then we could say ( hypothetically ):-

 

a) Doctor A based in New York, 156 results posted in last year, average score 9.0

b) Doctor B based in Seattle, 78 results posted in last year, average score 8.1

c) Doctor C based in India, 55 results posted in Last year, average score 8.8

d) Doctor D based in Alaska - 63 results posted in Last year, average score 5.6

 

Whilst A,B,C would indicate high standards and results - you would avoid D ! Even if he has posted a few good results, is a member of the coalition, member of ISHRS, has a great CV and impressive website.

 

Just an idea, I am day 7 after my HT ( happy so far ) and obviously alot of time on my hands in my personal downtime !

Well its obvious that Dr.D has to keep follicles from freezing and must thaw out the donor area prior to surgery. Arguably the graft survival time outside the body is greater

 

But the clinic is under constant duress from polar bear attacks thus plummeting the customer service rating.

[Mop]

Speegs - lol -

 

I did originally mention another more populous state for Doctor D but then I changed it thinking there may be one Doctor based there who might think I am writing about him and then threaten Lawsuit !

 

( just hope there is no Doc in Alaska ! )

[Leeson]

just wondering the difference between not happy and negative

They weren't good experiences/results to me. Thumbs down. Like previously mentioned, subjective rating.

[pink]

Whilst A,B,C would indicate high standards and results - you would avoid D ! Even if he has posted a few good results, is a member of the coalition, member of ISHRS, has a great CV and impressive website.

 

Mop, if a doctor who is a coalition member and still a D why should he be in the coalition list in the first place??????????? The idea contradicts what this website stands for.

 

If they are recommended here then go for those doctors (its as good as them getting an A or B)

[Mop]

Pink - there have been Doctors here who have been recommended and then unrecommended. A Doctor can get recommended and standards can drop, if we ( the patients ) consistently rate some Docs as average ( say D ) then it gives the people on this site who are still thinking about a HT something else to consider.

 

I would expect the moderators for this site have done a good job in setting a standard to be recommended. The purpose of my thread is then to further differentiate, ie Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Average, Satisfactory or worse !

 

If you read the threads, the advice is do research, check results, visit clinics, speak to former patients etc... just being recommended is just one part.