A glimpse behind the organisational curtain: A dramaturgical analysis exploring the ways healthcare staff engage with online patient feedback ‘front’ and ‘backstage’ at three hospital Trusts in England (17 January 2023)

Summary

Healthcare professionals are encouraged to use feedback from their patients to inform service and quality improvement. This study in the journal Sociology of Health and Illness aimed to understand how three NHS Trusts in England were interacting with patient feedback through online channels. The authors found that organisations demonstrated varying levels of ‘preparedness to perform’ online, from invisibility through to engaging in public conversation with patients within a wider mission for transparency.

Engagement varied between the Trusts; one organisation employed restrictive ‘cast lists’ of staff able to respond to patients, while another devolved responding responsibility amongst a wide array of multidisciplinary staff.