I recently received an email from OpenCare, an online business directory, telling me F Squared PT was chosen as one of New York’s best physical therapy offices. They based their “award” on reviews, social media, etc..blah blah.
I admit I took the bait. Although I emailed them a few questions about cost, I still accepted that F2PT had been awarded such a prestigious title (I mean, I think we ARE the best! seriously, call us). After registering F Squared PT with their site they sent me a code to add to my website so that they could then verify my business and let the celebration begin!… not so fast.
The New Yorker in me decided to, contrary to my favorite karaoke song, STOP believing. I did a quick search on Google and found a few interesting blog posts about the OpenCare Award. Apparently, OpenCare is giving these awards out like candy. This web designer breaks it down but the gist is that they use this “award” to lure business owners into purchasing an OpenCare advertising plan so that people who click on the award logo (the one you put on your own site!) can book an appointment through OpenCare.
Verdict: Scam! And please do not be fooled by “New York City Top Doctors” awards either. In 2012, ABC news did a very informative story on the “Top Physicians” awards we see in magazines and other publications.
Bottom line: Healthcare can be difficult to navigate and finding a quality provider, in any field, is another set of headaches. An already trusted healthcare provider, word of mouth and websites offering crowd-sourced reviews (Yelp, etc) are also great ways to get a somewhat unbiased opinion on who to go to for treatment.
Good luck out there!