FAQ

What is Vitals.com?

Vitals is your most trusted health care resource. We gather all the information and provide you with the tools to make the right decisions for yourself and those closest to you. Vitals enables patients to find the right doctor and schedule an appointment.

Who is Vitals?

Vitals is comprised of a team of dedicated experts in the fields of healthcare, marketing, and database management. Our mailing address is WebMD, 395 Hudson St 3rd floor., New York, NY 10014.

From where does Vitals get their information and data?

Vitals obtains information and data from a wide variety of sources both public and private. These include: medical boards from all 50 states, federal websites, hospitals, doctors, surveys, business alliances and third party affiliates.

Can I share health profiles found on Vitals?

The use of Vitals data is governed by our Terms of Use and posted Privacy Policy . You may print out a copy of a health profile but you may not electronically send it. If you wish to reproduce, cite, publish and/or distribute any information from the site for any purpose, please contact Vitals. Vitals allows you to share profiles by emailing links to the profile to outside parties.

Is the information found on Vitals available for free?

Yes! It is Vitals hope that consumers use our website as an educational tool where they can find, research, and compare health care providers.

Are comments on doctor reviews edited?

No - we do not edit any of the comments or rating selections of doctors or practices. Vitals does reserve the right to remove from public posting any comments which may be deemed offensive, malicious, inappropriate, sexually explicit in nature, or not made in good faith.

Why are some doctor reviews no longer displaying on Vitals.com?

In order to offer an improved patient experience, Vitals is now only displaying moderated patient reviews submitted on vitals.com

Why can I only rate my doctor once a month?

Vitals strives to preserve the integrity of rating selections by limiting the frequency of ratings that might otherwise be distorted by repeated reviews by the same individual.

Why is a doctor not appearing as active?

A provider profile will display an inactive message in two instances:

1. The Professional is inactive because they are not actively licensed to practice medicine, this includes but is not limited to: their licensing credentials being expired, or suspended or on probation due to an enforced state medical board disciplinary action, or the professional being retired from clinical practice.
2. The last known Practice Address(es) for the professional could not be verified, this includes but is not limited to the provider changing clinical practice, the only address on file being residential or private. To be considered an Active provider, the professional needs to hold an active license, and confirmed to be clinically practising at a consumer accessible address location. In the event an active physician is appearing as not active, the physician will need to click the ‘claim this profile’ link from their profile page. Once their vitals profile has been claimed, they will be able to update their listing.

How do I remove or update my doctor listing from Vitals.com?

Vitals.com lists all actively licensed physicians in the United States. The information that we compile is a matter of public record on both state and national level. The collection and distribution of this data does not require the permission or participation of the listed party. We are unable to preferentially remove or suppress entries on the request and physicians may not decline listing with our service. In the event a physician listing contains any outdated or incorrect information, please contact us .

What is the difference between an MD and a DO?

D.O. stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Like a Doctor of Medicine, a DO is a physician licensed to practice medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe medication. DOs attend osteopathic medical schools that have a very similar curriculum to allopathic medical schools for MDs, and they can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine. However, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, osteopathic medicine takes a more holistic approach towards patient care. Osteopathic physicians also receive an additional 200-500 hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), which is primarily used to treat the musculoskeletal system.

What does it mean to be board certified?

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents 24 medical specialty boards that establish and maintain high standards for doctor certification and the delivery of safe, quality medical care by certified doctor specialists. Certification obtained through one of the ABMS Member Boards denotes that a doctor has the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience needed to deliver optimum care in a specific area of medicine. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) can be certified by either the ABMS or the AOA (American Osteopathic Association). However, to be certified by ABMS, a DO must complete residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

I can't seem to find my doctor. Why?

It is possible that you could not find your doctor in a search because the criteria you entered is too narrow. In this case, you may wish to broaden your search. While Vitals strives to report on every doctor in the U.S. and its two territories (Guam and Puerto Rico), there may be occasional individuals who are not included. Some reasons for this may be:

• If a doctor has recently moved, he or she may not yet be noted as a practicing doctor in the new state.
• If a doctor has recently changed his or her name, that new name might not yet be registered.
• If a doctor is practicing overseas, his or her U.S. license may be expired and that record not noted in our database.
• If a doctor has recently become licensed, he or she may not yet show up in our records.

How can I provide feedback on a profile?

If you have any feedback on information you view on a doctor's profile, you may contact Vitals at or can contact Vitals at https://www.vitals.com/feedback .

I am a doctor and wish to submit my photograph to be added to my profile. How can I do this?

Providers will need to click the ‘claim this profile’ link from their profile page. Once their vitals profile has been claimed, they will be directed to update photos and other data elements.