“It’s not just the person giving the feedback… It’s about what the system then does with it.” – A qualitative exploration of senior leaders’ and policymakers’ perceptions of online patient feedback using Care Opinion in NHS Scotland

ObjectivesTo explore senior leaders' and policymakers' views on and uses of online patient feedback (provided through the platform Care Opinion) in National Health Service (NHS) Scotland.MethodsAs part of a wider PhD study, the lead author conducted online semi-structured elite interviews with 7 senior leaders and policymakers during September to November 2022. Relevant individuals were identified through discussions with stakeholders due to their knowledge of online patient feedback and Care Opinion in NHS Scotland and Scottish Government. An inductive thematic analysis of transcripts was undertaken.ResultsThemes identified and discussed in this article were: Care Opinion contracting, national uses, challenges and enablers, and future uses. Participants described what they felt were the reasons why Care Opinion was contracted by Scotland's NHS for online patient feedback. This included the importance of an external, independent feedback avenue, gathering narratives which could be used to improve care for individuals and providing insights at board level to inform organisational change. They also identified a range of uses at national level such as combining stories with other data to provide national oversight or giving insight on things which are working well. Participants identified a range of barriers and enablers for using Care Opinion, including potential NHS staff fear and defensiveness. Finally, participants highlighted future opportunities for Care Opinion, including growth into social care areas.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this research was the first account of senior leaders' and policymakers' views on Scotland's online patient feedback. This research explored how Care Opinion offers a unique avenue for patient experience to be gathered, and used by policymakers. Additionally, this study found Care Opinion was not fully developed in social and primary care services- a potential opportunity for future growth.