Yelp reviews help to understand the strengths, weaknesses of emergency departments and emergency care centers

According to a new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, Yelp's critics reveal that emergency services are perceived to be of better quality but lacking services compared to the centers. emergency care. The results of the study, published this month in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, offer researchers and clinicians a unique opportunity to learn from online reviews, which provide a raw consumer story.

"Today's world is very digital and it is very common for consumers to rate a restaurant, hotel or online service, a practice that impacts on health care," said Anish. Agarwal, MD, lead author of the study, a researcher at the National Clinician Scholars. and physician in emergency medicine at Penn Medicine. "As a doctor in the emergency department, patients often tell me that the Internet is their first source of information on health issues and research providers." Health systems and clinicians can learn from them a lot about the communities they're dealing with and how people perceive the services provided by looking at notes and reviews online. "

In this new study, researchers, using an automated system, analyzed the Yelp ratings (high, five stars) and low (one star) ratings of emergency departments and centers. emergency care, two places of choice for acute care patients.

Researchers identified key themes in five-star emergency department reviews, including how to cope with the bed, the treatment of family members and access to care at night and on weekends. end. Emergency care centers were receiving five-star reviews more often for factors such as the ease of refilling prescriptions and their positive recommendation by others.

On the other hand, emergency services have received negative feedback on the timeliness of care, while emergency care centers have received one-star ratings due to bad experiences in the past. And the patient's lack of confidence in the care received.

"We are increasingly seeing patients sharing their experiences online, and they are turning to social media platforms and online communities to help them make informed decisions," said Kevin B. Mahoney, vice-president of Executive Chairman and Executive Director of the Health System of the University of Pennsylvania. "Within these review and evaluation websites, there is a wealth of evidence-based data that we can and should analyze to inform how care is delivered and what is most important for our patients in the future." # 39; emergency ".

Emergency care centers have proliferated across the country in the past 15 years. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of visits increased by more than 1,700%. However, while emergency departments have instituted surveys so that patients and their families can report on their experiences, there is no clear equivalent to collect the direct reactions of patients who go to health centers. emergency care.

Lead author of the study, Raina Merchant, MD, director of the Penn Digital Medicine Center for Health and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, believes that Yelp's critics could fill a gap in the knowledge.

"Online journals can quickly take the pulse of the emergence of this acute care market and what consumers are looking for in these contexts," Merchant said. "These platforms can also help us identify new areas of intervention, with the goal of providing better and more effective patient care based on their expressed needs."

The researchers analyzed more than 100,000 Yelp reviews, published between 2005 and 2017 – in the midst of emergency care – related to 1,566 emergency departments and 5,601 from health care centers. emergency. During the study period, a new review for an emergency department or emergency care center appeared on average every hour of each day.

The critics fell largely on one side or the other side of the spectrum: five stars or a star. About 47% of emergency department reviews and 30% of emergency department reviews are categorized as 1 star. The disproportionate number of negative reviews on acute care facilities, compared to other entities examined online, such as hotels or restaurants, could be the result of issues for the consumer.

"If a restaurant provides you with a quick meal exactly as advertised, it meets your expectations," said Merchant. "With health care, things are different, people are often seriously ill, the results are uncertain, and the wait can be long – all of which can not be controlled at times."

The research team found that each type of facility received similar five-star ratings for comfort, cleanliness of facilities, pediatric care, and professionalism. One-star evaluations of bad phone experiences, long wait times, billing difficulties, and pain management were related to emergency departments and emergency care centers.

In the future, researchers hope to find more non-traditional sources to provide clues about patient experiences and use them to improve the quality of care.