What Do Patients Complain About Online?

A group of researchers across China, the United Kingdom and the USA has set out to develop a taxonomy framework for patient complaints online based on patient centeredness and to examine whether the determinants of patient-centered care (PCC) mirror the determinants of patient experiences.

As internet availability and usage grows worldwide, patients are spontaneously rating their experiences with physicians and hospitals by sharing their opinions about health encounters on the World Wide Web via mediums such as social media websites, Web-based consumer opinion platforms, and physician rating websites.

Previous research has demonstrated that patients are often influenced by peer-submitted comments posted on opinion and rating websites when making health care decisions

Why this study matters

Medical providers are able to leverage the information posted on such platforms to better comprehend patient experiences and engagement levels and increase the understanding of patient frustrations and joy points during hospital visits.
By capturing patient data in real-time, health care providers can use them as a quality metric to highlight insufficient physician performances or irregular events.
Given the intrinsic value of comments posted online by patients, it is important that health care providers make efficient use of the information collected.
Patient complaints online can indicate weaknesses in the health care system through the eyes of the patients’ themselves.