"Please get back to me if anything should happen."

"Please make another appointment if your symptoms persist." 

There is a common belief in medicine that not hearing from a patient is good news. Many doctors receive signals from patients mainly when something is wrong - when ailments, side effects or other health problems arise.

However, is such 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 patient feedback affects therapy, and how asynchronous communication can improve the exchange of feedback without the need for in-person visits and sharing a doctor's private phone number.

‍Feedback of thepatient and its challenges

Feedback is feedback (positive or negative) that patients give to doctors about their health, treatment and the overall medical care process. 

In the current health system, where the inpatient visit is the predominant form of doctor-patient contact, doctors receive direct feedback from patients most often when they have a negative experience such as a worsening of health or an exacerbation of symptoms, or at follow-up visits after an infection. A patient makes an appointment to see a doctor when something worrisome happens to his or her health, and the doctor is prepared to so-called "put out the fire," i.e. remedy the problem. However, what happens when the patient's health improves and when the treatment used begins to be effective? Patients can hardly be expected to make another appointment as a thank you or to give positive feedback. Such positive feedback is therefore often provided 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 made their private contact available to patients. 

According to an NHS report , doctors approach online reviews with uncertainty, due to the difficulty of verifying their reliability^.1 Such indirect feedback also serves more for patients to choose the right doctor, but does not contribute to modifying the therapeutic process or making sure that the prescribed treatment for a given patient is effective^.2 

Therefore, according to the study, in the context of proficiency in their work, doctors prefer feedback provided in a less formal and more personal way (such as a direct message or conversation). ²

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

Feedback is crucial in the process of treatment and patient care, and can additionally significantly affect the quality of medical service delivery.

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

In turn, positive feedback (e.g., thanks for effective treatment or feedback on resolving symptoms) translates into motivation for doctors, boosts their morale and proves that their work is having a real effect^.3 In addition, receiving positive feedback helps doctors better understand which aspects of their work patients value most in order to maintain high standards of quality care for subsequent patients. ^4,5

‍Howto receive positive feedback from patients using asynchronous communication technology?

Asynchronous communication technologies, such as medical instant messaging, can dramatically improve the flow of information between doctors and patients without blocking another window in the doctor's calendar or straining privacy. Allowing a patient to communicate remotely through a medical communicator after an in-person visit allows feedback to be sent in a more direct and personal way. This approach is proving to be more comfortable and effective for both patients and doctors. Ongoing positive feedback from the patient in the form of a simple "Doctor, I feel much better now" message does not leave the doctor asking whether his recommendations were helpful, whether the patient needs to modify his therapy, or whether he may have found another specialist long ago.  

Not hearing from a patient is not always good news. Positive feedback is just as important as negative feedback and can contribute significantly to improving the quality of medical care. Thanks to modern communication technologies, such as medical instant messaging, doctors can more easily receive feedback from their patients, which can lead to a better understanding of their needs and improve the quality of services provided. It is time to change attitudes and move toward more open and two-way communication with patients in order to fully realize the potential that feedback brings to medical care.

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. Vilender 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 physicians: 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.