Staff perspectives of a near-real time feedback intervention to improve patient experiences

Following several major reports of poor quality care in the NHS, including the Francis report, a multi-centre study was undertaken by to improve patient-centred care by implementing near-real time patient feedback. This article follows on from this and explores the experiences of staff from one hospital involved in the multi-centre study, including the learning from the intervention and how it affected their practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals who were involved in the original study, including five clinical staff members and three volunteers. Responses were transcribed and analysed thematically. The interviews highlighted four inter-related themes: the importance of communication; normalising feedback; confidence to talk to patients; and seeing from the patient perspective. Participants described how near real-time feedback enhanced communication, giving them confidence to interact with patients. Staff responded to negative patient feedback by making improvements to patient experiences. However, the initiative was not sustained following the conclusion of the study. Near-real time patient feedback can be effective in improving staff–patient communication and creating a more positive experience for both patients and staff. However, this study highlights the need to examine the sustainability of improvement initiatives, as well as their initial effectiveness.