In a state with few OB/GYNs, one false review reached everyone
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A review declared as fact that I had "dismissed serious symptoms," a specific and false clinical claim rather than a matter of tone or opinion.
Correcting the record would mean discussing the patient's actual care in public, which I will not do, so the truth is locked behind the same privacy law that already prevents my response. In a remote state with very few OB/GYNs, my reputation essentially is my practice.
A claim like this reached nearly the entire community I serve, because there are not many of us and word moves fast, and the anxiety of knowing that nearly every prospective patient in the region might see it, with no way for me to answer, was significant. Practicing in an underserved area is hard enough without carrying an unanswerable false accusation.
I consulted counsel, who explained that the reviewer was effectively out of reach and that any legal action risked forcing disclosures I am bound to protect. I kept careful documentation, more for my own peace of mind than out of any real belief it would change the outcome.