In this article
- Why "patient reviews" online are often unreliable
- How DoctorReviews checks submitted patient reviews
- The ✓ Verified Visit badge explained
- DoctorReviews vs Google reviews vs Practo
- How to write a useful patient review
- 5 red flags that a doctor review is fake
- When (and why) we will remove a review
- Frequently asked questions
Why "patient reviews" online are often unreliable
If you've ever searched for a cardiologist or gynaecologist on Google, you've probably seen long lists of 5-star reviews — and walked away unsure whether any of them are real. There are five recurring problems:
- Anyone can leave a review on most platforms — including the doctor's own staff, family members, marketing agencies, or competitor saboteurs.
- No proof of visit — a "patient" review can come from someone who never saw the doctor.
- Automated moderation — Google and most listing sites use automated filters that catch obvious spam but miss subtle paid reviews and fake-positive networks.
- Doctor identity not verified — many doctor profiles online are created from public scraping without confirming the practitioner is a real, NMC-registered doctor.
- Reviews can be bought — paid-review services exist openly on platforms like Fiverr. Doctors who buy them rarely face consequences.
How DoctorReviews checks submitted patient reviews
DoctorReviews uses a four-layer verification model, each layer addressing one of the problems above:
| Layer | What we check | What this proves |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Doctor is real | NMC online register cross-check | The doctor is licensed and currently registered |
| 2. Reviewer is a real person | Mobile number hash + spam rate limits | Not a bot; one review per phone in 24 hrs |
| 3. Reviewer actually visited (optional) | Prescription or bill upload, manually checked | The reviewer genuinely consulted this doctor |
| 4. Content is clean | Human moderation queue | No spam, defamation, or PII leaks |
A review with a ✓ Verified Visit badge on a profile marked ✓ NMC Verified gives patients a stronger trust signal than star count alone. That is the moat.
The ✓ Verified Visit badge explained
The Verified Visit badge is the most important trust signal on DoctorReviews because it separates proof-backed submissions from ordinary text-only reviews.
How it works
- When writing a review, the patient can optionally upload a prescription, consultation bill or appointment SMS screenshot.
- The file is stored privately (outside our public web folder; never linkable).
- A moderator opens the admin panel and confirms the proof shows this doctor's name + a plausible date.
- If the proof checks out, the moderator approves the review AND sets the visit_verified flag.
- The proof file is permanently deleted after moderation. We do not retain prescriptions or bills.
- The public review then displays a green ✓ Verified Visit badge.
DoctorReviews vs Google reviews vs Practo
✅ DoctorReviews.in
- NMC checks on profiles marked ✓ NMC Verified
- Human moderation on submitted reviews
- Verified Visit badge (prescription/bill proof)
- Phone hashed — never stored or sold
- Free for patients — no charges, ever
- Doctors cannot pay to remove or boost
Google reviews
- Doctor profile often unverified
- Automated moderation
- No proof of visit
- Anyone with a Google account
- Free
- Doctors can flag reviews; many succeed
Practo
- Doctor verification varies
- Mixed: paid + organic listings
- Limited proof requirements
- Booking-first model (revenue from appointments)
- Free for patients; paid for doctors
JustDial / Sulekha
- Phone-listing focused
- Doctor verification minimal
- Review quality varies widely
- Many "businesses" listings
- Free for patients; paid promotion for doctors
How to write a useful patient review
A useful review answers six questions another patient would ask. Cover these six things and your review will help thousands of future patients:
| What to cover | Example |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis accuracy | "Correctly identified my condition on the first visit; the previous doctor had missed it." |
| Treatment outcome | "The prescribed treatment worked within 3 weeks. I was back at work." |
| Doctor behaviour | "Patient, took time to explain the reports, drew a diagram of the heart for me." |
| Wait time | "My 4pm appointment started at 4:25 — short wait, OPD was busy that day." |
| Staff & cleanliness | "Front desk was efficient; clinic was visibly clean." |
| Fee transparency | "Consultation was ₹1,200 as published. The echo cost ₹2,500 — explained upfront." |
- Be specific. "Good doctor" tells nobody anything. "Diagnosed my anaemia missed by two other doctors" tells the truth.
- Don't share personal medical details. Do not mention your exact diagnosis, medications, or other patients' identities. Moderators will redact those for your privacy.
5 red flags that a doctor review is fake
- Only 5-star reviews. Real patient experience is bell-shaped — some 3 and 4 stars are healthy. A doctor with 100% 5-star reviews has either bought reviews or filtered hostile ones.
- Generic praise. "Best doctor I have ever met" with no specific incident, date, or condition is suspect.
- Identical phrasing across reviews. Look for repeated sentences across multiple "patients" — a sign of copy-paste from a paid-review service.
- Reviews posted in batches. Real patients write reviews after their consultations, scattered across weeks. A burst of 8 5-star reviews in 2 days is a paid campaign.
- Reviewer accounts with no other history. On platforms that show reviewer profiles, check whether the account has reviewed anything else, ever.
On DoctorReviews, the ✓ Verified Visit badge is the simplest counter — it means a human moderator has seen consultation proof for that submission.
When (and why) we will remove a review
Doctors cannot pay to remove reviews. Reviews are only removed if they fall into one of these four categories:
- Defamatory — false statements of fact (not opinions). "The doctor was rude" is opinion (protected). "The doctor has no medical degree" when they do is defamatory (removed).
- Breaches medical privacy — mentions other patients' identifiable details, or shares the doctor's own private information.
- Spam or solicitation — review is promoting another doctor, business or service.
- Paid / competitor sabotage — when investigation reveals the review is bought or part of a competitor campaign.
If a doctor disputes a review, we offer a right of reply — they can post a public response published immediately below the review. This is not the same as removal. The patient's words stay published.
Find a doctor profile & write your review
Search specialities across India. Read patient reviews. Write yours — published after moderation.
Find a Doctor →Frequently asked questions
Are doctor reviews on DoctorReviews written by real patients?
Submitted reviews must come from patients or family members and are checked by our moderation team before publishing. We do not publish editorial reviews, paid placements, or AI-generated reviews. The optional ✓ Verified Visit badge means the moderator saw consultation proof such as a prescription or bill.
How is DoctorReviews different from Google reviews?
Three differences: optional Verified Visit proof, NMC checks on profiles marked ✓ NMC Verified, and human moderation before submitted reviews are published.
How do I write a review for a doctor in India?
Find the doctor by name or speciality on DoctorReviews homepage. On their profile click "Write a Review" — form opens with doctor pre-filled. Rate 1-5 stars, write at least 30 characters, optionally upload prescription/bill for the Verified Visit badge. The review appears after moderation.
What makes a good doctor review?
Cover six things: diagnosis accuracy, treatment outcome, doctor behaviour, wait time, staff/cleanliness, fee transparency. Be specific — "good doctor" tells nobody anything; "diagnosed anaemia that two other doctors missed" tells the truth. Don't share personal medical details.
Can a doctor remove a bad review?
No. Doctors cannot pay to remove or boost reviews. Reviews are only removed if defamatory (false facts), breach medical privacy, are spam, or are found to be paid/competitor sabotage. Doctors can request a right of reply — published below the review, not in place of it.
How can I tell if a doctor review is fake?
Five red flags: only 5-star reviews; generic praise without specifics; identical phrasing across reviews; reviews posted in batches; reviewer accounts with no other history. On DoctorReviews, the green ✓ Verified Visit badge is a stronger signal because a moderator has seen visit proof.
Is it safe to share my mobile number when writing a review?
Yes — we store only a keyed HMAC hash of your phone number, never the raw number. It is used only to prevent duplicates and limit spam (max 3 reviews per number per 24 hours). We will never call you, sell your number, or share it.
Why are review counts low on some doctor profiles?
DoctorReviews is young. We deliberately do NOT import unverified third-party reviews — that would inflate counts but destroy trust. As patients write moderator-checked reviews, counts grow. If a doctor you've visited has few reviews, your honest review will help thousands of future patients.