How startling, and yet, when I mull it over, how obvious that physician ratings should take one commercial step closer to being the ultimate in consumer friendliness!

I learned recently from the LA Times, via a Wellpoint insider, that Wellpoint and Zagat have struck a deal in Los Angeles -- they are joining forces to provide those customers insured by Wellpoint with ratings of physicians and their practices.

Who better than Zagat to pal up with a titan health insurance company! Especially since the Zagat mission is "to be the most trusted, useful, up-to-date, fun-to-read source for quality dining, travel and leisure activities, enabling savvy customers to share their experiences, make smart decisions and take action"

This news may strike terror or raise fury in your heart, but our consumer-patient is determined to be King, and the twin giant forces of entrepreneurship (see RateMDs.com, Health Grades, and Mymedicalcontrol.com) and the desire to attract the leading market share of the insured are providing some pretty solid backing for this quest.

How do Zagat ratings work?

According to their website:

Zagat Survey strives to summarize the honest opinions of the thousands of people who share their experiences with us. In turn, using this input, our guides are designed to provide consumers with trustworthy information, allowing them to make smart decisions about their dining, travel and other leisure activities.

I am reassured by the "honest" and "trustworthy" parts!

From the LA Times article, the trend is clear  - practicing physicians of any stripe or specialty are destined to be scrutinized and judged, just like their neighborhood bistro or sushi bar.

As a beleaguered doctor, you may complain all you want, but your mandate is obvious. It's time to step back and take a long hard look at the "consumption" experience of your patients. Perhaps even ask them what they think.

Because, even if it takes a while, the practices that figure out how to offer a delectable doctor's visit are headed to the top of the "Best of ......" lists, while the laggards languish.

Just think of all that free marketing exposure if you get it right!