Feel like firing back on RateMDs? This doc's experience should make you think before you ink a response

Two days after a patient with mental health and substance abuse problems posted a comment on RateMDs describing him as a “horrible non-caring doctor”—while noting in the same line that the clinic receptionist was “lovely’—Dr. Abdel-Kareem Chehadi decided to fire back with his own comment. “Yup, your (zero) years of medical knowledge and experience trumps my 20? I guess you lost your job because of me and not because of the different kinds of bottles you may or may not have guzzled down?“ the Winnipeg family physician wrote on the physician reviews platform. That response led to a censure in April by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, which also ordered Dr. Chehadi to pay $3,487.50 in investigation and hearing costs. “Dr. Chehadi’s comments were blatantly disrespectful,” the college’s investigation committee wrote in its decision. “It is aggravating that they were made in a public forum toward someone with a reported history of mental health and substance abuse issues.” The committee also stated it was aware Dr. Chehadi had responded previously to other online posts and that some of his comments were “unprofessional.” “This is unacceptable conduct, particularly for an experienced physician who should have known better than to engage in such harmful, online discourse,” wrote the committee. Read: Problem solved: How do you handle negative comments on RateMDs? The conflict in this particular case began in July 2020 when a patient, whose driver’s licence had been cancelled, asked Dr. Chehadi to fill out provincial public insurance forms as well as a form for long-term disability. Dr. Chehadi had been caring for the patient through a plan that included consultation with an addiction specialist, tapering of medications and cognitive behavioural therapy. According to the decision document, this request to complete forms led to a “deterioration of the physician-patient relationship.” On July 18, the patient went on RateMDs and posted the following comment: “Please do not waste your time with this Dr if you have Mental Health issues or need forms filled out for health or work concerns. My forms were filled out wrong with all medication I NO longer take and used the wrong diagnosis even when it was directly in front of him on his computer. He informed me I needed objective proof. He was exceptionally nice upon first visit. Did not realize that he is a not a doctor but mostly a homeopath. Wont prescribe anything above a Tylonal 3 even when coming off medications to help ease the pain. Said I would have handle the withdrawals on my own. Does not care about the patients well being. Ended up in Urgent Care after meeting with him that same day. He also told me we were not a great fit in the middle of my crisis. Left me hanging. A complaint will be issued to the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Please do not go see him. He is a horrible non caring doctor. However, his receptionist is lovely.” Dr. Chehadi told the college that when he posted his rebuttal, he didn’t know the identity of the patient who had left the negative review. But “regardless of whether Dr. Chehadi knew who posted the July 18, 2020, comment on the RateMDs website, Dr. Chehadi acknowledges his July 20, 2020 reply was inappropriate and unprofessional,” wrote the investigation committee. Read: What if we could rate our patients and colleagues?

Feel like firing back on RateMDs? This doc's experience should make you think before you ink a response

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