People between the ages of 50 and 80 do not believe the reviews given online about doctors. A report mentioned that only 43% have actually made efforts for choosing a doctor online or visited the websites to check the ratings given to doctors. They rather believe personal relations that suggest a doctor. The ratings are important to them but they get skeptical about the ratings and reviews.
They do check on web to get the information but they rely on their own family for recommendations and do not believe the web ratings. Even if the ratings are good they still look for personal suggestions as it is difficult for them to trust people they do not know or see. They consider some ratings fake too.
Also not everyone of them post reviews of the doctors online. They do not do it themselves so they do not trust that somebody might have done it too. Researchers have found that only 7% of older adults had posted a review or rating of a doctor online. They find the bad rating or negative reviews quite intimidating even if it is 1 out of 10. They rather rely on friends and family to guide them.
Online rating can help the older adults find a doctor as searching for one is quite stressful otherwise. People are becoming media savvy and so it is high time they start using it to their benefit. Like they gather information from the net they can look for good doctors too and trust them.
