The health care topic incites a spirited debate, especially when it comes to whether consumers are savvy enough to discuss the treatment they receive from their doctor. Our recent announcement that Angie’s List is accepting medical reports has certainly spurred the discussion.

If you ask certain members of the medical establishment, they’ll tell you consumers aren’t capable of comprehending the ins and outs of medicine, let alone qualify their doctor’s care. After all, doctors undergo rigorous schooling and training, and how could we — the patient at their mercy — possibly understand what goes into a diagnosis or making us feel better?

If you ask me, we can. Consumers are smart, and if a physician dismisses an ailment or suggests a course of treatment that doesn’t fix the problem, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that maybe they could have done a better job.

I don’t know how to fix a clogged drain or re-side my house, but I can certainly tell you whether the professional I hired for the job does. When my friend’s wife was in labor with their fourth child, the OB-GYN came into the delivery room in full tennis attire and said, “I’ve got a tennis match to get to, so I’m going to page the doctor on call...” Now, my friend doesn’t know everything about obstetricians, but he certainly had an opinion on the doctor’s commitment to his patients.

On the other hand, and much more probable, when we interact with a physician who’s a true healer that brings compassion, empathy, humor and intelligence to the situation, we don’t need to see their MCAT scores to understand that this is someone we want to entrust our health to.

When my co-worker’s dad passed away from leukemia, the outcome was devastating, but the extraordinary care provided by the oncologist brought comfort to the family and undoubtedly made the final months of his dad’s life the best possible.

Who wouldn’t benefit from knowing about these types of experiences? I challenge anyone to tell me we’re doing the wrong thing by providing this outlet to our members.

Who hasn’t had a friend, co-worker or family member suggest a great dentist, pediatrician or chiropractor? The providers in question surely wouldn’t want to restrict this word-of-mouth endorsement. And when the comments are less than stellar, the provider should be equally interested in how they could do things better.

Angie’s List isn’t an anonymous repository of rants from unhappy consumers; it’s a tempered forum for educated consumers to reflect on the treatment they receive. It’s become a valuable tool for home-related projects. I hope it becomes invaluable for those seeking good health care — and for the professionals who provide it.

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