Online patient feedback: where's the evidence?

People are used to the idea of evidence-based healthcare. But how often do you hear about evidence-based patient feedback? (Don't mention the "friends and family test".)

At Care Opinion we are very keen on seeing independent, rigorous and peer-reviewed evidence about patient feedback, especially our kind - online, narrative, public. We've supported the work of many academic teams over the past 20 years, and there are now around 50 published research papers, four completed PhDs, and two more PhDs in progress.

Independent research helps us think about what works, what doesn't, and why. It tells us whether we are on the right track, identifies key challenges and highlights new opportunities for creating value and impact in health care.

You probably haven't got time to read 50 papers and critically appraise the evidence relating to Care Opinion. Luckily, I've read them so you don't have to, and I've summarised many of the key findings in a few pages of hopefully readable text.

I hope you find it useful!

Care Opinion summary of the research - August 2025.docx