NEGATIVE RATINGs, PLEASE
I read with a smile your story on the RateMDs controversy (March 15, 2007, Vol 4, No 5, page 1). While some Canadian doctors are incensed about the supposed defamatory and slanderous ratings they've received, I must say I was disappointed that the one rating I received was good. The patient even recommended me to others. This is the last thing I want!

In fact, a more negative rating for the practice may have extended usefulness in getting patients to leave and discouraging unattached patients from cold calling. The more I think about it, the more I'm excited about this rating site. I think I may log on and slam myself a bunch of times!

With our current physician shortages, what silly patient would dare rate their physician poorly, for fear of being discovered? Only the disgruntled patient that you don't want in your practice anyway would complain. Too bad they don't just go away without complaining.

PS RateMDs founder Mr John Swapceinski is a Silicon Valley resident, which means he probably has pretty decent financial resources and is therefore in the minority in the US. He says his more capitalism-focused US healthcare results in fewer complaints than our socialized medical system. Of course, he only sees this through the same expensive shaded glasses that he posed in the photo with. The majority of Americans have more to complain about than we do here.

Dr Norman Yee, Calgary, AB

RATE YOUR PATIENTS
I just read about www.RateMDs.com, where patients can (anonymously) rate their MDs.

Now I'm a charming, good-looking, congenial, compassionate kind of guy with excellent interpersonal skills, a huge knowledge base and flawless decision-making, who was often complimented on keeping better time than Mussolini's trains, but over the years I may have inadvertently upset the occasional confrontational, passive-aggressive, manipulative, hostile, rude, obnoxious, vulgar and above all just plain ungracious, ungrateful patient. Almost all physicians have had the same experience.

I haven't bothered to check if I'm in RateMDs.com. I've just been forced into early retirement by my own health problems. But what to do with my new very sedentary lifestyle?

My web guy has registered a new domain name for me: www.RatePatients.com. This will be a place where MDs can rate their patients (anonymously, of course). So, whenever a GP is considering a new patient, or a specialist is considering whether to accept or schedule a referral, he/she can fire up www.RatePatients.com and check out that patient's ratings, which would of course also be available to the patient's spouse, friends and the neighbourhood kids. The website is, as my web-guy puts it, "under construction."

Perhaps the existing system, where patients sign their name and express their concerns to the appropriate regulator, actually works better.

Anonymous (of course)

All PRESS IS GOOD PRESS
Thanks very much for the Interview you did with me on your front cover. It's going in the old scrapbook! The response has been phenomenal. We've gotten some additional press from it and now our Canadian traffic is about double what it was only a month ago.

Thanks again!
John Swapceinski, Creator, RateMDs.com