[Physician rating sites from an ethical viewpoint: a roadmap]

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Limited academic research exists on the medical and ethical implications of Physician Rating Sites (PRS).
• Public discourse highlights controversial debates regarding the potential consequences of PRS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the significant future role of PRS in healthcare.
• To systematically present ethical and medical implications of PRS using an ethical principles framework.

Main Methods:

• Systematic presentation of ethical and medical implications.
• Analysis within a framework of established ethical principles.

Main Results:

• PRS are likely to become a primary source for selecting physicians due to Web 2.0 growth.
• Potential benefits include improved patient outcomes, health literacy, and equal opportunity.
• Risks include misinformation for patients and defamation for physicians, necessitating prevention without hindering transparency.

Conclusions:

• Ethical principles will guide PRS development and regulation.
• Transparency, justification, participation, and conflict of interest policies are vital for PRS legitimacy.