“Call me if anything happens.”

“Please make another appointment if the symptoms do not go away”

In medicine, it reigns a common belief that not hearing from a patient is good news. Many doctors receive signals from patients mainly when something is wrong - in the event of the appearance of complaints, side effects or other health problems.

But is this communication sufficient? Is the lack of news really good news for the doctor and the effectiveness of his treatment?

From this article you will learn, how positive feedback from the patient affects therapy and how asynchronous communication can improve feedback exchange without the need for in-office visits and sharing a private doctor's phone number.

‍Patient feedback and its challenges

Feedback is feedback (positive or negative)information that patients tell doctors about their health, treatment and the entire process of medical care.

In the current health system, in which the inpatient visit is the dominant form of doctor-patient contact, doctors receive direct feedback from patients most often in case of negative experiences such as deterioration of health or exacerbation of symptoms or at follow-up visits after infection. The patient makes an appointment to the doctor when something disturbing happens to his health, and the doctor is prepared for the so-called “fire extinguishing”, that is, to remedy the problem. However, what happens when the patient's health improves and when the treatment used begins to be effective? It's hard to expect patients to make another appointment as a thank you or give positive feedback. Taki Positive feedback is therefore often given online, for example in the form of reviews and opinions on online portals. Unfortunately, this kind of information rarely goes directly to doctors¹, unless they have shared their private contact with patients.

According to the NHS report doctors are uncertain about online reviews, due to the difficulty of verifying their reliability.¹ Such indirect feedback also serves more to help patients choose the right doctor, but does not contribute to modifying the therapeutic process or ensuring that the prescribed treatment for a given patient is effective.² 

Therefore, according to research in the context of agency in their work, doctors prefer feedback that is given in a less formal and more personal way (e.g. in the form of a direct message or conversation). ²

Why is feedback (both negative and positive) important in doctor-patient cooperation?

Feedback is key in the process of treatment and patient care, and in addition, it can significantly affect the quality of the provision of medical services.

Negative feedback given to the doctor directly and in a timely manner helps identify challenges and make necessary changes to treatment.³ 

Positive feedback (e.g. thanks for successful treatment or feedback on symptoms that go away) translates into motivation of doctors, raises their morale and proves that their work brings real results.³ In addition, receiving positive feedback helps physicians better understand which aspects of their work patients value most in order to maintain high standards of quality of care for subsequent patients. ^4.5

‍How to get positive feedback from patients using asynchronous communication technology?

Asynchronous communication technologies such as medical communicators, can significantly improve the flow of information between doctors and patients without blocking the next window in the doctor's calendar or straining privacy. Allowing the patient to be contacted remotely via a medical messenger after an in-patient visit allows feedback to be transmitted in a more direct and personal way. This approach proves to be more comfortable and effective for both patients and doctors. The current positive feedback from the patient in the form of a simple message “Doctor, I feel much better already” does not leave the doctor wondering if his recommendations were helpful, whether the patient needs a modification of therapy or whether he has already found another specialist long ago.

Not hearing from a patient is not always good news. Positive feedback is as important as negative feedback and can significantly improve the quality of medical care. Thanks to modern communication technologies such as medical messengers, doctors can more easily receive feedback from their patients, which can lead to a better understanding of their needs and an improvement in the quality of the services provided. It is time to change the approach and strive for more open and two-way communication with patients in order to fully realize the potential of feedback in healthcare.

1. Powell J, Atherton H, Williams V, et al. Using online patient feedback to improve NHS services: the INQUIRE multimethod study. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2019 Oct. (Health Services and Delivery Research, No. 7.38.)

2. Vilendrer S, Levoy E, Miller-Kuhlmann R, Amano A, Brown-Johnson C, De Borba L, Luu JH, Sakamuri S, Gold CA. Physician Perceptions of Performance Feedback and Impact on Personal Well-Being: A Qualitative Exploration of Patient Satisfaction Feedback in Neurology. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2023 Mar;49(3):138-148. 

3. Baines, R., Regan de Bere, S., Stevens, S. et al. The impact of patient feedback on the medical performance of qualified doctors: a systematic review. BMC Med Educ 18, 173 (2018). 

4. Greco, M., Brownlea, A. and McGovern, J. (2001), Impact of patient feedback on the interpersonal skills of general practice registrars: results of a longitudinal study. Medical Education, 35: 748-756. 

5. Reinders ME, Ryan BL, Blankenstein AH, van der Horst HE, Stewart MA, van Marwijk HW. The effect of patient feedback on physicians' consultation skills: a systematic review. Acad Med. 2011 Nov;86(11):1426-36.