Evaluation of Unsolicited Feedback from Patients with Cancer and Their Families as a Strategy to Improve Cancer Care Delivery

Unsolicited patient feedback (compliments and complaints) should allow the healthcare system to address and improve individual and overall patient, family, and staff experiences. We evaluated feedback at a tertiary cancer centre to identify potential areas for optimizing care delivery. unsolicited f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current oncology (Toronto) 2024-05, Vol.31 (5), p.2488-2496
Main Authors: Fallah, Parvaneh, Clemons, Lucas, Bradbury, Michelle, Vandermeer, Lisa, Clemons, Mark, Renaud, Julie, Savard, Marie-France
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Burn out (Psychology)
Cancer
cancer care delivery
Cancer patients
complaints
compliments
Delivery of Health Care
Family - psychology
Feedback
Female
Health care industry
Health care reform
Hospital patients
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms - psychology
Neoplasms - therapy
patient experience
Patient Satisfaction
Physician and patient
unsolicited feedback
Young Adult
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Summary:Unsolicited patient feedback (compliments and complaints) should allow the healthcare system to address and improve individual and overall patient, family, and staff experiences. We evaluated feedback at a tertiary cancer centre to identify potential areas for optimizing care delivery. unsolicited feedback submitted to the Patient Relations Department, relating to the Divisions of Medical and Radiation Oncology, at the Ottawa Hospital, was analyzed. Of 580 individual reports submitted from 2016 to 2022, patient demographics were available for 97% (563/580). Median patient age was 65 years (range 17-101), and 53% (301/563) were female. The most common cancer types were breast (127/545, 23%) and gastrointestinal (119/545, 22%) malignancies, and most (64%, 311/486) patients had metastatic disease. Feedback was submitted mainly by patients (291/579, 50%), and predominantly negative (489/569, 86%). The main reasons for complaints included: communication (29%, 162/566) and attitude/conduct of care (28%, 159/566). While feedback rates were initially stable, an increase occurred from 2019 to 2021. Unsolicited feedback remains mostly negative, and relates to physician communication. If we are to drive meaningful changes in care delivery, more standardized means of assessing feedback and implementation strategies are needed. In addition, in an era of increased healthcare provider burnout, strategies to enhance formal positive feedback are also warranted.
ISSN:1718-7729
1198-0052
1718-7729
DOI:10.3390/curroncol31050186