Most online shopping sites have customer review sections, and, while medical device companies do not typically have this peer-to-peer communication channel, ECRI Institute decided the industry needed one. Rate This Model User Review and Rating Tool is the result. It provides purchasers and device users a forum to rate technology on five-star system, in categories including ease of use, performance, reliability and feature set, and offer their experiences in a comments section. 

“Not only can members see how their peers rated a technology, they can quickly contribute their own ratings and comments. This is the first time we’ve made feedback so instant,” says Jennifer L. Myers, ECRI Institute’s vice president of SELECT Health Technology Services, in a press release. 

This is the newest part of ECRI Institute’s SELECTplus membership program, so these potentially scathing and insightful reviews will come at a price to facilities. The non-profit clarifies: “As an independent nonprofit dedicated to improving patient care, ECRI Institute maintains strict conflict of interest rules. It does not accept advertising from or endorse any products.”

What do you think about this system? Do you think the industry is missing this type of peer-to-peer forum? Comment below or reach out to me at Rebecca.Rudolph@advantagemedia.com.