BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Consumers can go to Google, Yelp and Facebook for crowdsourced insight about the experiences they'll have at a hospital, but they shouldn't expect foolproof guidance on the quality of care they will receive, according to new Indiana University research. Researchers Victoria Perez and Seth Freedman of IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs compared social media ratings offered by patients with the extensive data available through the federal government's "Hospital Compare" website.

View print quality image Victoria Perez

Their key findings: On patient experience -- food, friendliness, amenities -- the Google, Yelp and Facebook ratings most often aligned with hospitals that are highly ranked by Hospital Compare for patient experience based on surveys.

On quality of care and safety as measured on Hospital Compare, the Google, Yelp and Facebook ratings were not as accurate. In fact, 20 percent of the hospitals rated "best" within a local market on social media were rated "worst" in that market by Hospital Compare on patient health outcomes. "Our results indicate that crowdsourced ratings reflect measures of quality most easily observed, which is not all that matters in health care," Perez said. "While crowdsourced sites may provide similar information to the government's patient experience surveys, they are not a substitute for measures of clinical quality or patient safety." The researchers acknowledge that finding that information can be a challenge. Their research highlights shortcomings with the Hospital Compare scores and a need to communicate clinical quality more clearly to patients. Of the 57 Hospital Compare metrics, patients must wade through 46 to determine clinical quality and safety. Many may not apply to the specific condition for which they are seeking care.

View print quality image Seth Freedman