[Google Reviews: a descriptive study of 700 orthodontic practices].

Abstract

As it is the case in the medical sector, Google reviews of orthodontic practices are on the rise. The main objective of the study was to describe the internet ratings and opinions on orthodontic practices in France. The second objective was to test the factors that influence the number of reviews and the overall rating. We conducted a descriptive study on Google reviews, on 700 specialists in orthodontics in mainland France. 87% of offices got at least one review on Google. An office receives an average of 9.6 comments; 63.6% of reviews are associated with comments; 10.8% of opinions receive a response from practitioners. The average number of stars is 4.1 (+/- 0.7) out of 5. Four types of comments are significant in the context of a multivariate analysis: monetary considerations, the level of hygiene felt, temporal parameters (punctuality…) and the setting of the office. Opinions regarding therapeutic assessments, even though they are the most frequent, only concern 40% of the comments. The socio-economic level of the city, the population density and the concentration of practices are not explanatory factors for the number of reviews or the average rating. A comment related to punctuality or fees lowers the grade. Opinions are given spontaneously and do not necessarily reflect patient satisfaction. A comparative study of the patient actual satisfaction with the average rating on Google could be interesting.