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Monday, December 17, 2012

The Ratings Game


Online physician-review sites pose legal challenges

By Andis Robeznieks
ModernHealthCare.com
Originally Posted: November 10, 2012

People who sue people may receive more undesired attention than anyone else in the world.

That is the general idea behind the “Streisand Effect,” a phenomenon that occurs when an attempt to stifle publicity creates more publicity for something that might never have received much attention in the first place.

According to legend, the term was coined when singer Barbra Streisand tried to have a photo of her home—one among thousands of pictures that were part of an online display showing coastline erosion in California—deleted from that site. The ensuing publicity essentially guaranteed the image will never disappear from the Internet.

It could be unlikely that combative efforts to counter negative profiles on physician review websites will lead to a similar occurrence known as a the “Dr. McKee Effect,” but no one can predict how these things turn out.

Dr. David McKee, a neurologist from Duluth, Minn., is suing a patient's family member for defamation after the man posted negative reviews of him online. The case was argued in September before the Minnesota Supreme Court and, while its legal precedent-setting impact might not extend beyond the state's boundaries, attorneys for both sides say it could serve as a guide in future legal proceedings—wherever the jurisdiction may be.

The entire article is here.