How data is revolutionizing the way you access health information and research your doctors

When it comes to finding a medical provider, conducting your own due diligence is key. Whether it be individuals looking for healthcare providers, or professionals researching doctors, it is crucial to look beyond a provider’s resume and consult as many reliable resources as possible. In today’s world, you have massive amounts of data at your fingertips. You might feel overwhelmed and find it hard to decide what data to trust. Patients are becoming more influential. However, when patient reviews of doctors incline toward non-medical topics such as front office staff, wait time, friendliness of doctors and staff, scheduling, billing, etc., such reviews might give you a false sense of security.

Back in the day, people used paper-back medical encyclopedias to try to find out what the condition might be or what questions to ask the doctors. Today, web-based tools, doctor-finder services, and social media are transforming the way we access healthcare information and approach our doctors.