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

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research established a correlation between patient experience and health outcomes.
• Observed disparities in COVID-19 mortality rates across U.S. geographic regions prompted further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if COVID-19 outcomes were associated with patient experience.
• To quantify the potential impact of improved patient satisfaction on pandemic-related health metrics.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of daily U.S. county-level COVID-19 infections and deaths during the first pandemic year.
• Inclusion of mean online patient review ratings, adjusted for county-level demographic factors.
• Estimation of absolute risk reduction (ARR) and relative risk reduction (RRR) based on star rating improvements.

Main Results:

• Doctor star ratings demonstrated a significant association with COVID-19 outcomes.
• Geographic areas with higher online patient satisfaction ratings exhibited substantially better COVID-19 outcomes.
• Modeling predicted nearly 11% fewer infections and 17% lower mortality with a 0.3-star increase in average ratings.

Conclusions:

• Online patient experience ratings are a significant correlate of COVID-19 outcomes.
• Improving average online review ratings nationwide could lead to substantial reductions in COVID-19 infection and death rates.
• Patient satisfaction metrics offer a potential avenue for improving public health responses during pandemics.