Indiana's Medical Board Website Ranked Second to Last in the Country

Patients looking to research medical providers online may look to the Indiana medical board website for information. However, a new review of all 50 states' medical board website by Consumer Reports found that Indiana residents may be better served looking elsewhere for information. Consumer Reports reviewed medical board websites in all 50 states for its latest cover story: “What you don’t know about your doctor could hurt you.” Indiana's website ranked 20 on a scale of 1 to 100. Only Mississippi was lower, with a score of 6.

“Patients have a right to know whether their doctor has been disciplined for bad behavior, especially when it could endanger their health,” said Lisa McGiffert, director of Consumer Reports’ Safe Patients Project. “But Indiana makes it very hard to find out if a doctor practicing in the state has a history of harming patients or putting them at risk."

But Indiana licensing officials say that other state agencies keep track of some of the information in Consumer Reports’ grading criteria. For example, malpractice payouts are recorded by the Department of Insurance. Consumer complaints are reviewed (and held confidentially) by the Attorney General’s office. While this may be true, it is just important to remember to be thorough in your online research before choosing a health care provider. While one source may say that a doctor has never had a case of medical malpractice against them, another may contain several instances of wrongdoing.