Consumer Reports’ Gripe-o-Meter Reveals Patients’ Top Complaints

Lack of communication from providers about test results and unclear explanations of medical problems were patients’ top complaints about their medical offices and providers, according to Consumer Reports’ web-based Gripe-o-Meter. Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 Americans, the data reveals what bothers patients most about their treating facilities or providers. Respondents rated 16 complaints on a 1-to-10 scale, with 1 indicating they were not bothered at all and 10 indicating they were bothered tremendously. The most troublesome complaint was “unclear explanation of problems,” rated at 8.1, and the least troublesome complaint was “doctor discourages alternative treatments,” rated at 5.7. Some of the biggest complaints were “test results not communicated fast,” “billing disputes hard to resolve,” “hard to get quick appointment when sick,” and “rushed during office visit.”