A study of more than 28,000 online reviews of doctors suggests that American healthcare consumers are fondest of naturopaths, audiologists, oncologists and osteopathic physicians among healthcare specialists, and are least satisfied with care given by psychiatrists, dermatologists, orthopedists and family doctors.
Below are the popularity rankings of each of 23 specialties in the 100 largest American cities listed under “doctor” and “physician” categories on the website Yelp.com as defined by Yelp and its users. Read more about the study.
| Popularity ranking | Healthcare specialty | Average rating by patients |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naturopathy | 4.62 |
| 2 | Audiology | 4.36 |
| 3 | Oncology | 4.30 |
| 4 | Osteopathy (osteopathic physicians) | 4.25 |
| 5 | Tattoo Removal (specialty not defined) | 4.22 |
| 6 | Allergists | 4.20 |
| 7 | Sports medicine (specialty not defined) | 4.10 |
| 8 | Fertility (specialty not defined) | 4.09 |
| 9 | Pediatrics | 4.02 |
| 10 | Podiatry | 4.01 |
| 11 | Cosmetic surgery | 3.99 |
| 12 | Cardiology | 3.93 |
| 13 | Urology | 3.81 |
| 14 | Ophthalmology | 3.80 |
| 15 | Internal Medicine | 3.76 |
| 16 | Obstetrics/Gynecology | 3.75 |
| 17 | Neurology | 3.74 |
| 18 | Ear, Nose, Throat (otolaryngology) | 3.71 |
| 19 | Gastroenterology | 3.70 |
| 20 | Family Medicine | 3.63 |
| 21 | Orthopedics | 3.59 |
| 22 | Dermatology | 3.48 |
| 23 | Psychiatry | 3.08 |
About Vanguard Communications
Since 1994, Vanguard Communications has provided specialty healthcare marketing with a strategy focused on patient education guaranteed to bring new patients to specialist physicians, physician assistants, nurses and therapists in private, university and hospital practices. Through its MedMarketLink program, Vanguard combines the disciplines of online and offline PR, strategic marketing and information technology for healthcare providers coast to coast.