BetterDoctor – Get Matched With the Right Physician

Searching for a general practitioner or dentist can be an overwhelming prospect. After all, online business directories and healthcare review websites are filled with thousands of doctors who all have the same educational backgrounds and practice specialties. BetterDoctor is a tool that people can use to sort through the clutter and find the best physicians in their local areas.

When you use BetterDoctor, finding the right doctor to treat whatever health issues you’re facing is a process that can be completed in three basic steps. First, select the specialty you’re looking for. BetterDoctor lets you choose between general practitioner, pediatrician, obstetrician, dentist, and optometrist. Next, select your insurance plan from the provided list. Finally, enter the name of your city. BetterDoctor will provide you with a list of physicians who meet your specifications. Click on the name of any physician to see that person’s BetterDoctor profile. There, you’ll find a detailed bio, educational background, hospital affiliations, Yelp reviews, and other pertinent information. When it’s time to make an appointment, click on the “Call Doctor” button, and you’ll be put in touch right away.

To help ensure quality and accuracy, BetterDoctor has placed limitations on its platform and requires that physicians receive an invitation to join. BetterDoctor only lists physicians who’ve meet minimum criteria, with regard to background, experience, and patient satisfaction rates. This makes it easier for users to trust the information they find on the platform, and prevents BetterDoctor from being overrun with doctor profiles in the way many healthcare review websites currently are.

Practical Uses:

• Find a pediatrician near your home who is accepting new patients
• Recommend your favorite doctors to friends on Facebook
• Search for a dentist who takes your insurance
• Read the Yelp reviews of any obstetricians you’re thinking about visiting

Insider Tips:

• Data for the majority of physician profiles comes from hospital information, private practice websites, and Yelp profiles
• Doctors who haven’t been invited to use BetterDoctor can request to “claim their profiles”
• Use the map feature to find qualified physicians who practice in your neighborhood

What we liked:

• BetterDoctor decides which physicians to include based on their background, education, and online reviews
• BetterDoctor’s database excludes physicians who are the subject of ongoing malpractice lawsuits
• Users who are trying to decide between two similar doctors can save both physicians to their list of “favorites”
• Doctors can use BetterDoctor to get free publicity

What we didn’t like:

• Although BetterDoctor lists the most popular insurance companies, it’s still missing many of the smaller agencies
• Patients can’t schedule appointments through the BetterDoctor platform

Alternatives:

• DocASAP – http://www.docasap.com
• HealthGrades – http://www.healthgrades.com
• ZocDoc – http://www.zocdoc.com

Company Info:

• Launched: September 2012 (Nationwide)
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California
• Founded by: Ari Tulla and Tapio Tolvanen
• Web site: https://betterdoctor.com

Costs:

• Free