How Are Ratings and Comments Obtained?
The ratings and reviews seen on provider profiles are gathered from patient surveys, which are conducted by an independent patient satisfaction organization called Qualtrics. This trusted vendor is used by organizations throughout the U.S., and ensures the information we provide is not biased.
How Can I Fill Out a Patient Survey and Contribute to a Doctor’s Star Rating?
On behalf of Duke Health, Qualtrics distributes the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) surveys to patients who visit a Duke Health doctor in an outpatient clinic office. Patients receive a survey if they have not received a survey about an outpatient clinic visit within the last 90 days.
Surveys are distributed three ways:
- By mail
- By email
- By text message
Each year, Duke Health receives feedback from more than 120,000 patients for their clinic visits. About 20% of patients complete and return the survey they received.
How Are Star Ratings Calculated?
The star ratings are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the CG CAHPS survey. The question reads:
Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?
Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers.
Why Doesn’t a Provider Have a Star Rating?
Star ratings are only displayed for providers who have accumulated 30 or more survey responses during a 24-month period. This ensures the data we provide are statistically valid. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org. Finally, ratings are not included on DukeHealth.org for patients who:
- Were discharged from the hospital
- Have undergone a procedure
- Received care at an urgent care clinic
- Were seen in the emergency department
Are All Reviews Posted?
The reviews that appear on provider profiles are taken directly from the Qualtrics surveys. We display reviews over a 24-month period. If you submitted your comment recently, it may be included in future updates.
In addition, patients must be sure to complete the entire survey in order for their comments to appear on a provider’s profile.
While we are committed to publishing both positive and negative comments, we also maintain a rigorous process to review and remove comments that are profane, libelous, unrelated to the provider, or violate patient privacy. Published comments are not edited in any way.
How Does Duke Health Protect Patient Information?
All patient survey responses are stored on a password protected server. Patient names are not displayed and comments that contain personal, identifiable information are not published.
Share Your Feedback
If you have received treatment by a Duke Health provider, we encourage you to share your feedback when you receive your survey.