JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Patients increasingly use online evaluation tools to assess their physicians, healthcare teams, and overall medical experience.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which standardized physician competencies are present in online patient reviews (OPRs) as well as an understanding of patient perception of important physician qualities in the context of quality cancer care.

Methods:

OPRs of all university-affiliated medical oncologists in mid-sized cities with medical schools in the province of Ontario (Canada) were collected. Two reviewers (one communication studies researcher and one healthcare professional) independently assessed OPRs according to the CanMEDS Framework and identified common themes. Comment scores were then evaluated to identify Kappa agreement rates between reviewers and a descriptive quantitative analysis of the cohort was completed. Following the quantitative analysis, an inductive thematic analysis was performed.

Results:

This study identified 49 actively practicing, university-affiliated medical oncologists in medium-sized urban areas in Ontario. A total of 473 OPRs reviewing these 49 physicians were identified. Among the CanMEDS competencies, those defining roles of Medical Expert, Communicator, and Professional were most prevalent. Common themes in OPRs include medical skill and knowledge, interpersonal skills, and answering questions (from patient to physician).

Conclusions:

CanMEDS roles and competencies which are explicitly patient-facing (i.e., those which are directly experienced by patients in their interactions with physicians and through the care they provide) are most likely to be present and reported on in OPRs. Findings demonstrate the opportunity to learn from OPRs, not simply to discern physician popularity, but to grasp what patients expect from their physicians. In this context, OPRs can represent a method for the measurement and assessment of patient-facing physician competency.