Frequently Asked Questions

For Raters ¶

• I created an account but have forgotten my password, how do I retrieve it? ¶

  To retrieve or reset your password click on the ‘Forget password?’ link on the Login page.

• How does the ratings system work? ¶

  All categories are based on a 5 point rating system, with 5 stars being the best and 1 star being the poorest. The Overall Quality rating is the average of the category ratings. To rate a doctor or a facility you can search by name, city or country with the ‘Find a Doctor’ or ‘Find a Facility’ search feature. If your doctor is not listed, you can ‘Add a Doctor’ and rate them. If your doctor is already listed, just click their name in order to see their ratings and rate them (look for the ‘Rate This Doctor’ button.)

• What is the purpose of this site? ¶

  RateMDs provides resources, reviews and ratings on doctors and health care facilities, allowing users to browse, rate and locate specialists in their area and get informed through other patient’s experiences and testimonials.

• Does your site list only medical doctors? ¶

  RateMDs not only lists medical doctors but also includes ratings and reviews for dentists, naturopaths, chiropractors, psychologists, midwives, acupuncturists, nurse practitioners and many others. See All Medical Specialties.

• Who are you? Are you doctors? ¶

  Find out all about RateMDs on the About Us page

• How much does this website cost me? ¶

  The RateMDs site is free to use. You will notice Google ads on most pages; we feel ad-supported information is generally preferable to having to pay for information.

• Why isn't my doctor listed? ¶

  It is most likely that no one has added him/her yet. RateMDs relies on our visitors to add their own doctors and ratings/reviews. You can add a doctor at any time.

• I've seen ‘Signup | Login?' What's that all about? ¶

  Users can read ratings and do searches without an account, but creating an account will allow you to track and update your ratings, and follow your favorite doctors. We do not change ratings, so logging in gives the user a way to make sure their ratings are always up to date.

• Who can rate MDs? ¶

  Please only rate doctors for whom you have first-hand knowledge. Also, please only rate your doctor ONCE. Rating more than once may result in ALL your ratings being removed.

• My comments were removed. What comments are considered cause for removal? ¶

  Comments should be about your personal outcome and/or customer-service related issues. New ratings are reviewed, and we reserve the right to remove comments or an entire rating. Here is some good info on defamation and libel laws.

• I want to edit a rating I wrote. How do I do this? ¶

  If you created an account (accounts are not required for rating, so you may not have created one), login to it. If you do not have an account, you will not be able to edit your rating. If you were logged into your account when you submitted the rating, you can edit your star rating in your profile. Comments are not editable, but you can leave a new comment.

• I want to edit my rating but I wasn't logged in when I submitted it? ¶

  If you were not logged in when you submitted the rating, the only thing you can do is to try to remove it and then enter a new rating.

• I see a message that says "SYSTEM: duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed." What does that mean? ¶

  When our spam filter notices 2 or more ratings for the same doctor from the same computer or user, we remove the ratings and add this message.

• How soon are my ratings posted? ¶

  Immediately; however, sometimes our webpages are cached for a couple minutes, so you may need to wait a minute or two to see your rating show up. Also, our automated spam filters will sometimes hide your comments until a human reviewer checks it, but the numerical ratings are still displayed immediately.

• Can I be sued for posting a rating? ¶

  Yes, it is possible. It is also possible for you to be sued when NOT posting a rating; in the U.S., almost anyone can be sued for anything, particularly if the plaintiff is willing to give false testimony. If you do libel someone, it may be possible to identify you using a Doe subpoena. However, each state has a statute of limitations on defamation that varies between 1 and 3 years. Once your rating is old enough, you may no longer have liability, but check with a lawyer.

• If I get sued, will I lose in court? ¶

  "Proving adverse public character statements to be true is often the best defence against a prosecution for libel or defamation." – Wikipedia

• I'm a patient and have been accused of libel because of my rating. What should I do? ¶

  EFF.org has a good resource for people like you, here: https://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/index

• What is your privacy policy? ¶

  You can view our Privacy Policy here.

For Doctors ¶

• There's an error in my listing; how can I correct it? ¶

  Doctors can claim and edit profiles by clicking on the ‘Claim Doctor Profile’ located at the top of their ratings page to correct or add information about themselves and their practice.

• I'm a doctor and I have my patients rate me from our office computer; why did their ratings get removed? ¶

  Our systems are set up to remove multiple entries coming from the same computer. Please ask your patients to rate you from their own home computers. Also, if our system detects multiple ratings coming from the same source, it may require new raters to login before rating for some period of time.

• How do I update my government NPI information? ¶

  If you see erroneous data for you popping up all over the Internet, it could be that your government NPI listing is wrong. You can update it here: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/Welcome.do

• What if I see a rating that I think should be removed? ¶

  If you think the rating should be removed, click the ‘flag’ icon next to the rating and tell us why it should be removed. If the rating is flagged, and then re-approved, the flag disappears for that rating.

• I disagree with a rating. What can I do? ¶

  If you think the rating should be removed, click the "flag" icon next to the rating and tell us why it should be removed.

• I'm a doctor and some of my ratings were removed; how come? ¶

  We remove ratings for a number of reasons, but it is usually due to one of our automated spam filters thinking there were multiple ratings coming from the same rater. When we detect this, our system will usually automatically remove the duplicate ratings.

• I'm a doctor and do not think my ratings are fair. What can I do? ¶

  You can reply to any or all of your ratings or alternatively, you can click the ‘flag’ next to the rating to have it re-reviewed. If the rating is flagged, and then re-approved, the flag disappears for that rating.

• I'm a doctor. How do I get my name removed from your site? ¶

  If it is a valid listing, it will not be removed. If the listing is fake, or if the doctor is deceased, please Contact Us and let us know.

• How do I get a rating removed from your website? ¶

  We generally do not remove ratings. This site is for people to report on their experiences. People rate you every day in their conversations and referrals, whether or not you are listed here. There is a ‘flag’ option associated with each rating. When you click on that flag, the rating is reviewed. If you are convinced you have been libeled, you might ask an attorney about filing a Doe subpoena.

• One of these ratings is false and it’s hurting my business. I want to send you a letter demanding that it be removed. ¶

  We do not accept demand letters because it is not our role to determine whether a review is true or false. You might dispute the truth of a review, but your disputing it does not make it false. Why should we believe you over the reviewer? Still, we believe your voice should be heard, so you are always free to post a public response to any review on this site. If the rating has been flagged, you can click it to have the rating reviewed. If there is no red flag, it means the rating was already reviewed and re-approved, and will not be reviewed again.

• If you won’t accept a demand letter, I have no choice but to sue you! ¶

  Think twice. The Communications Decency Act (the “CDA”) is a complete bar to our liability for the statements of others on this website: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." 47 U.S.C. § 230. Federal courts have applied this standard on its terms: "By its plain language, Section 230 creates a federal immunity to any cause of action that would make service providers liable for information originating with a third-party user of the service." Zeran v. AOL, 129 F.3d 327, 330 (4th Cir. 1997). The ratings on this site are written by our users, not by our company. Thus, under the CDA, we are not the "publisher or speaker" of the ratings, even if they contain false information and we are not liable for defamation, libel, fraud or any other tort claim you might bring.

• I think my demand letter would put you on notice that the review is false and defamatory. That makes you liable. ¶

  No, it doesn't. Zeran, 129 F.3d at 227, and the cases following it uniformly hold that it is not up to us to determine whether your demand letter is correct or the review is correct. The CDA gives us complete immunity for the statements that others make on this site.

• But you lost your CDA immunity by aggregating the user ratings into an average. ¶

  The most instructive case on aggregate ratings is the California Court of Appeals’ decision in Gentry v. eBay, which squarely held that such ratings do not transform a publisher into an information content provider. 99 Cal.App.4th 816, 834 (Cal. App. 2002).

• But you lost your CDA immunity by editing the rater's original comments. ¶

  Under 230(c)(2)(A), "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of (A) any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected."

• I’m going to sue you anyway. Taking down the review is cheaper than paying a lawyer. ¶

  Sounds like a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP.) Twenty-eight states, including our home state, have passed strict anti-SLAPP laws, authorizing expedited motions to dismiss and giving rise to counterclaims seeking attorneys’ fees and liquidated damages. If you want to drag us into court, bring your checkbook with you, because you’ll be paying our attorneys to defend us.

• I'm not in the United States, and I'm going to sue you in my own jurisdiction. ¶

  The United States has enacted strict laws protecting US companies from lawsuits brought in foreign jurisdictions. Even if you win a judgment under your local laws, it will not be enforceable in the United States. See, e.g. SPEECH Act of 2010.

• I see that a lawsuit isn’t the answer. Instead, I'm going to pose as a client and rate myself to increase my overall rating. ¶

  Better not. We use automated algorithms and human moderators to detect and remove phony reviews. More importantly, it’s illegal. Posing as a client or hiring an outside agency to post positive ratings is a practice known as "astroturfing," and it is illegal. If you are caught, you may end up paying $300,000, like this doctor.

• Where should I send my subpoena? ¶

  RateMDs Inc is incorporated in Santa Clara county in the state of California. Subpoenas should be submitted through a California court. Send all legal correspondence to our California registered agent at:

  InCorp Services, Inc
  5716 Corsa Ave, Suite 110
  Westlake Village, CA 91362
  

  Subpoenas or other legal process should be obtained from a court with the appropriate jurisdiction. Subpoenas issued to us pursuant to a state court other than California (where RateMDs Inc. is incorporated and has its primary place of business) are generally not enforceable. More info on this third-party website: http://interstatedeposition.com/compellingout-of-statewitness.htm

• Why do you allow people to post anonymously? ¶

  The Supreme Court of the United States has held that anonymity of speech is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution (see McIntyre v. Ohio, 514 U.S. at 337; Talley v. State of California, 362 U.S. 60), also see: http://www.epic.org/free_speech/default.html#anonymity. United States courts have consistently recognized that the right to speak anonymously extends to speech on the Internet (see Doe v. 2theMart.com and Doe v. Cahill.)

• How can I advertise on RateMDs.com? ¶

  View our Advertise With Us page for information and to get in touch with RateMDs with regards to advertising opportunities.

• How can I contact you? ¶

  Reach the RateMDs team through our Contact page.

• How does the Ratings Manager feature work? ¶

  You can hide up to 3 ratings on your profile deemed to be suspicious. Please note that the actual rating connected to the hidden ones will still be represented in your overall star rating. You will also be able to feature a rating that will be displayed when you appear on our top 10 lists.

• How does the Appointment Manager work? ¶

  The Appointment Manager adds a form to your profile page for your patients to easily request an appointment. Once an appointment request has been made, you will receive an email to the address your account is registered to with details on how to access to full appointment details.