GHP January 2016

ghp January 2016 | 15 ered or the price tag high the response rates can be much higher, and because all feedback is collected off- site there is even less opportunity for bias in the results. Reports show that if the public sees feedback that shows a balance of opinion including both positive and negative feedback, they are more inclined to trust it because of the added authenticity. In a recent survey: • 62% of people said they leave feedback because it gets companies to listen. • 74% said that they like to help companies to make improvements. • 90% said they like to help other people to make good decisions. We also know that when people use customer reviews to help them make their purchasing decisions, they are much more likely to leave their own feedback if asked. The Future for Feedback in Healthcare The last 20 years has brought us to a point where we know what works and what doesn’t. In April 2011, the OFT wrote a paper titled ‘Empowering Consumers of Public Services through Choice Tools’. Of all the feedback collection methods and companies studied, they concluded that a closed review system would be by far the most effective solution for both health and social care. To date DoH, NHS Choices and NHS England have engaged with only open systems and the majority of feedback is collected on-site. There has been a slow adoption of technology, most likely due to a concern that not all patients have the internet or a smartphone. However, as this changes, closed systems become viable and a valuable source of feedback. NHS Wales has recently started to use closed review software to gather feedback from confirmed patients off-site. Patient feedback is most valuable when used to im- prove the patient experience. In eCommerce, customer feedback is used by respon- sible traders to tailor their offering to meet the needs of the customer. In healthcare, high volumes of bias-free feedback provides actionable insight that can stimulate and drive continuous improvement programmes, firmly placing the patients and their feedback at the centre of all that we do. Good feedback software allows us to create bespoke surveys helping us to capture valuable insight on what’s most important to each ward. Powerful reporting tools can track trends in the ratings and make comparisons with similar wards in other parts of the hospital or other hospitals. Beyond hospitals, CCGs can use patient feedback to understand outcomes and commission ser- vices more effectively, collecting patient feedback from medical centres and surgeries, dentists, clinics, drop in centres and care homes. The possibilities are endless. We have a lot to thank TripAdvisor and Amazon for, and whilst we need a ‘TripAdvisor for Care’ to provide the public, social services, CCGs and other bodies with effective feedback, we must be sure to learn from the mistakes that they have made and be sure not to repeat them. innovation & technology