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University of Maryland Medical System is committed to delivering exceptional health care to the people of Maryland. That commitment includes sharing information you can use to make decisions about your care.

To help you find an UMMS provider who best meets your needs, we post provider ratings and reviews from patients. We believe being transparent and putting patient feedback online is an important part of giving our community a positive health care experience. 

Here’s how we collect, use and share UMMS provider ratings and reviews. 

Where do the ratings and reviews come from? 

Patients who had an outpatient visit with an UMMS physician or advanced practice provider are randomly chosen to take a patient satisfaction survey. Surveys are sent through the mail or emailed within a few weeks of appointments.

They’re verified by Press Ganey, an independent national survey company.

What is a provider’s rating based on?

Providers’ star ratings range from 1-5, with 1 being “Very Poor” and 5 being “Very Good.” They are the average of ratings patients give to 10 care-related questions, covering:

  • A provider’s friendliness/courtesy

  • Explanations given about a patient’s condition

  • Concern shown for the patient’s questions or worries

  • Efforts to include the patient in decisions

  • Information given about medications

  • Information given about follow-up care

  • If the provider gave easy-to-understand explanations

  • Amount of time spent with the patient

  • Patient’s confidence in the provider

  • Likelihood the patient would recommend the provider to others

What does UMMS do with the survey responses?

Survey ratings and reviews are shared on our website for the benefit of patients, physicians and advanced practice providers. We look at all feedback and ratings to evaluate overall perception of care. We use them to find areas we can improve or to recognize our providers.

Why aren't there provider ratings and reviews for every physician and advanced practice provider?

This can be for several reasons, including:

  • The provider has not yet received the minimum number of patient satisfaction survey responses to be eligible for display. To ensure the rating is statistically reliable and a true reflection of patient satisfaction, we require a minimum of 30 responses to UMMS-conducted surveys within a rolling year before we post results.

  • He or she is a researcher or other type of provider who does not provide direct patient care.

  • The provider practices in a specialty or office that does not use the Press Ganey survey tool.

Are all reviews posted?

We post all comments from the surveys except those that include profanity, are off topic or discuss other providers, or may risk the privacy of a patient. 

All other comments, both positive and negative, are shared online. 

Can anyone fill out a survey or post a comment about a physician or advanced practice provider?

You must have had an outpatient visit with an UMMS provider to be selected to receive a survey. This ensures that the results are only from patients who have actually been treated by that provider.

How is patient information protected?

No personally identifiable information is displayed online. It is removed from survey responses if submitted. This includes the patient name, phone number, address, email, reason for the visit, diagnosis and other visit details that could identify a patient.