Last verified: October 23, 2026, against RateMDs' help center, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's RateMDs finding and Ontario's PHIPA. General information, not legal advice. Provincial rules vary; confirm with your privacy officer or counsel.
RateMDs is the review site Canadian physicians can't ignore, and many dentists, chiropractors and other practitioners are on it too. "ratemds" gets about 4,400 searches a month in Canada and "ratemds canada" another 1,300 (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, Canada, 12-month average to Sep 2026), against 1,300 for "ratemds" in the much larger US (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026). This is the clinic's guide: claim the profile, understand how ratings are moderated, reply without breaching privacy law, and decide how much time RateMDs deserves next to Google.
Why RateMDs matters more in Canada
The numbers above tell the story: patients searching RateMDs by name are disproportionately Canadian. RateMDs' own help center reflects that, with articles such as "How can I find a family doctor in Canada?" and instructions for verifying provider licenses in Canada.
It isn't only for physicians. RateMDs says it lists (opens in a new tab) "dentists, naturopaths, chiropractors, psychologists, midwives, acupuncturists, nurse practitioners" and that the list is not limited to those.
You also can't opt out. In PIPEDA Findings #2020-002 (opens in a new tab), a BC dentist asked the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to have her profile removed. The OPC found that reviews about a health professional are that professional's personal information, but that the public benefit of the reviews outweighed her lack of consent, so RateMDs did not have to take the profile down.
Claiming and verifying a doctor or clinic profile
Claiming is free and gives you control of what patients see. RateMDs says claiming "grants you management access," a "verified checkmark," and visibility in its "Verified Profiles Only" search filter, plus rating notifications and the ability to respond (why claim (opens in a new tab)).
- Search for each practitioner by name and city on RateMDs, and for your clinic. Note duplicates; RateMDs has a help article on consolidating multiple profiles.
- Create an account and claim the profile. RateMDs' claiming article (opens in a new tab) "highly recommend[s]" this and walks through it in an interactive guide.
- Update the profile. Once claimed, you can edit (opens in a new tab) name, specialty, photo, credentials, new-patient and virtual-appointment status, facility details, office hours and accepted insurance plans.
- Decide who manages it. RateMDs has a help article on adding staff to manage a profile. Pick one person, and give them the reply rules below.
- Turn on notifications so new ratings reach you before they sit unanswered.
Paid features. RateMDs describes its Promoted plan as adding "additional management tools, such as Gallery photos and Rating Concierge," plus "additional profile advertising" (Promoted (opens in a new tab)). Claiming, updating and responding don't require it.
How ratings and reviews work on RateMDs
Patients leave a star rating and comments, which RateMDs moderates. Its help center says publication "may be delayed so our staff can review the contents of the rating," and that providers subscribed to new-rating alerts may get a window to appeal or respond, which "may also result in a delay of up to 7 days" (removal and publication (opens in a new tab)).
Reviews are anonymous to you. The OPC's finding notes that PIPEDA would "generally prohibit" RateMDs from disclosing a reviewer's identity to the professional.
Asking for ratings. RateMDs offers a Rating Request Link (opens in a new tab): add "#ratingform" to the end of your profile URL and the link opens the rating form directly. Its guide to rating collection (opens in a new tab) says "You should never pressure or incentivize pay for patient ratings," advises against QR codes on signage non-patients can see, and says providers should "consult their regulatory body before using ratings in any type of marketing." That last point matters: some colleges, such as Ontario's dental college, prohibit testimonials.
Treat any email or text asking for a rating as a commercial message under Canada's anti-spam law: get consent, identify your clinic and include an unsubscribe.
Replying without disclosing health information
RateMDs lets a claimed profile post a response of 50 to 5,000 characters, and its own help article (opens in a new tab) reminds providers to keep protected health information out of it. In Canada, the rule behind that comes from Canadian law, not HIPAA.
Under Ontario's PHIPA (opens in a new tab), personal health information includes identifying information that "relates to the providing of health care to the individual, including the identification of a person as a provider of health care to the individual." In plain terms, confirming that a reviewer is your patient discloses personal health information. Section 29 bars disclosure without consent unless the Act permits it, so treat any confirmation in a public reply as needing the patient's consent. Other provinces' laws, and the OPC's view that health information is generally sensitive (opens in a new tab), point the same way. See PHIPA for the full rules.
A safe reply:
- doesn't confirm or deny the person is a patient;
- mentions no visit, date, treatment or detail from the review;
- states your general practice or policy instead;
- invites the person to contact the clinic directly.
Illustrative example (safe): "We take every concern about wait times seriously. Our policy is to call patients if we're running more than 20 minutes behind. If you'd like to talk about your experience, please call our office manager at 604-555-0123."
Illustrative example (unsafe): "We're sorry your knee injection on March 4 was uncomfortable, but as we explained, swelling is normal for a few days."
For more wording you can adapt, see replying to reviews; swap any HIPAA references for your provincial law.
Correcting or disputing information
Wrong details (address, hours, specialty, accepted insurance): claim the profile and fix them yourself.
A rating that breaks the rules: flag it. RateMDs says the flag button sits under each rating, flagged ratings go to its Rating Validation Team "typically within about 3 business days," and you won't get a response through the flagging system (flagging (opens in a new tab)). Flagging "does not necessarily mean the rating will be removed"; only ratings that violate its Terms of Use come down. If there's no flag button, the rating is either already under review or was reviewed and re-approved.
RateMDs lists the reasons a rating may be removed, including:
- inappropriate, hateful or threatening language;
- astroturfing (flooding a profile with positive ratings) or spamming with negative ones;
- repeated posts;
- hearsay or other patients' experiences;
- privacy reasons;
- reviews "without personal medical experiences";
- other providers mentioned by name;
- accusations of unlawful activities.
Ratings of court-appointed assessments or independent medical examinations may also be removed.
Removing a profile: generally not possible. RateMDs asks retired practitioners to contact it so the profile can be marked retired. A retired profile stays up "for informational purposes," but is labelled retired, drops out of ranking pages, loses facility and contact details, and stops accepting ratings (removal (opens in a new tab)).
A note on paying to hide reviews: the OPC called a former RateMDs feature that let subscribers hide reviews a "pay-for-takedown" practice and a "no go zone." RateMDs replaced it with its Ratings Concierge service.
RateMDs vs Google reviews: where to focus
Both matter, for different reasons.
| Item | RateMDs | Google Business Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Patients researching a specific practitioner by name | Anyone searching for a clinic or service nearby |
| Covers | Individual practitioners, and some facilities | Clinic locations and public-facing practitioners |
| Your controls | Claim, edit, respond, flag | Claim, edit, respond to reviews |
| Asking for reviews | No pressure or incentives; consult your college | No incentives; no selective soliciting |
Google's content policy (opens in a new tab) bans paid or incentivized reviews and says businesses may not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers." For most clinics, Google comes first because it appears in Maps and local search for every patient looking nearby. RateMDs comes first for individual physicians whose patients search them by name.
Medfy's free marketing audit scores your Google listing alongside your website, SEO, AI visibility, social and ads. Medfy does not manage RateMDs profiles or run review requests. For the wider picture, see online reviews and reputation and other directories worth claiming, and healthcare marketing in Canada for the privacy rules by province.
Common mistakes
- Leaving profiles unclaimed, so wrong hours or an old address stay up for years.
- Confirming the reviewer was a patient in a reply, even politely.
- Arguing clinical details in public instead of inviting a call.
- Offering a discount or draw for ratings, which RateMDs' guide, Google's policy and some colleges rule out.
- Quoting ratings in ads or on your website without checking your college's rules on testimonials.
- Asking staff to post ratings, which RateMDs can remove as astroturfing.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your practice with a qualified advisor.
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor remove a RateMDs profile?
Generally, no. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada examined a BC dentist's request in 2020 and found the public benefit of reviews outweighed her lack of consent, so the profile could stay. RateMDs' help center says retired practitioners can ask to have their profile marked retired: it stays online for information, but loses contact details, leaves ranking pages and stops accepting ratings. Claiming the profile is the practical alternative.
Can Canadian doctors respond to RateMDs reviews?
Yes, once the profile is claimed; responses run 50 to 5,000 characters. Canadian privacy law shapes what you can say. Under Ontario's PHIPA, identifying someone as your patient is personal health information, so a reply must not confirm the reviewer was seen, or mention any visit or treatment. Describe your general policy, thank them for the feedback and invite them to call the clinic directly.
Is RateMDs or Google more important for a clinic?
For most clinics, Google, because a Business Profile appears in Maps and local search for every patient looking nearby. RateMDs matters most for individual physicians and other practitioners whose patients look them up by name, and it draws heavy Canadian search demand. Claim both, keep details accurate and reply carefully. Medfy's free audit scores your Google listing; Medfy doesn't manage RateMDs or reviews.