The Relationship between Internet Patient Satisfaction Ratings and COVID-19 Outcomes

Abstract

Our prior research showed that patient experience—as reported by Google, Yelp, and the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey—is associated with health outcomes. Upon learning that COVID-19 mortality rates differed among U.S. geographic areas, we sought to determine if COVID-19 outcomes were associated with patient experience. We reviewed daily, U.S.-county-level-accrued COVID-19 infections and deaths during the first year of the pandemic using each locality’s mean online patient review rating, correcting for county-level demographic factors. We found doctor star ratings were significantly associated with COVID-19 outcomes. We estimated the absolute risk reduction (ARR) and relative risk reduction (RRR) for each outcome by comparing the real-world-observed outcomes, observed with the mean star rating, to the outcomes predicted by our model with a 0.3 unit higher average star rating. Geographic areas with higher patient satisfaction online review ratings in our models had substantially better COVID-19 outcomes. Our models predict that, had medical practices nationwide maintained a 4-star average online review rating—a 0.3-star increase above the current national average—the U.S may have experienced a nearly 11% lower COVID-19 infection rate and a nearly 17% lower death rate among those infected.