Online feedback: where it is making a difference, how is it?

When we set out on the Patient Opinion journey at the start of 2005, the idea that patients might wish to – or even “be allowed to” – post their experiences of healthcare online was seen as undoubtedly troublesome, probably illegal, and possibly crazy.

Yet fast forward ten years, and online “patient stories” are pretty much mainstream. Everywhere you go, health services seem to have feedback from patients and carers coming out of their ears. “Don’t send us any more data”, patient experience managers cry. “We’re drowning in it.”

Well, that may be so. But there are two things to take issue with here. First, this isn’t data, it’s people, sharing. And second, those people want to know what’s being done with what they share. Is it making any difference? Did my feedback help someone? Did anyone even read it?

Online patient feedback may be mainstream, but it remains far from clear, even ten years later, that health services are yet willing and able to take that feedback and use it to improve care. But some people, in some places, certainly are.

Every day on Patient Opinion we see some health care staff, in some places, responding in ways that make us open our eyes wide in admiration. Their responses are personal, empathic, practical and constructive. And in some organisations, staff tell us that Patient Opinion is having a real impact on both services and culture.

So what is it that some people are doing on, or with, Patient Opinion which is helpful to both the patient giving their feedback now, and also to the future patient? How can we all learn to take experiences, shared online, and use them to build better services and a respectful, patient-centred culture? And how can we share what we learn?

These are genuine questions and I’d very much like to hear your thoughts. Of course, I have a few views of my own, which I’ll share in my next blog post.