Integrating the Patient Voice Part 2 - The Value of Patient Feedback
The Backbone of mHealth Digital Tools: Integrating the Patient Voice - Part 2
THE VALUE OF PATIENT FEEDBACK
We introduced the idea of how integrating the patients’ voice establishes the backbone of mHealth digital tools. As alluded to, we would like to focus on effectively collecting patient feedback. If our goal is to build, maintain, and continually improve on tools FOR the patients, we must allow them to have a voice and let us know how they feel about the service. We may have created what we feel to be the optimal product and service, but without constant input from the end user -> we suppress the potential value, affecting everyone. Ultimately, by collecting feedback from the patients, we show that we truly value their opinion and are working towards developing a digital tool FOR THEM!
There is no perfect way to obtain feedback and engage the patient to provide this valuable information, but we will share how we (at STREAMD) value our patients’ feedback and work to involve them in the constant improvement of our service to them. As part of the messaging service, we encourage patients to respond with keywords or questions that prompt an immediate response, addressing their message. Our goal is to create an environment in which they feel comfortable interacting with our service. Early on, we inform them that we value their feedback and we want them to pay attention to their experience -> “Jot ‘em down somewhere!” At the end of the messaging program, we provide them with a link to an electronic for asking them to rate their experience and provide statements on what they enjoyed and what they would like to see improved on. These feedback forms are reviewed by all members of our founding team and we brainstorm on how we can apply specific comments that have been made. Several features of our service have been improved and created based on these valuable recommendations. We also focus on the strengths of the service and work to emphasize those areams more as well, based on the feedback provided by patients.
Additionally, we provide a forum for patients to share their inspirations for recovery with us and other patients going through the same recovery! We post these on our website here and highlight several of them on our social media outlets each week. As a team, we respond these inspirations and let the patients know that we are cheering for them as well! However, we also categorize these inspirations and incorporate common elements into the messages and service as well.
When we started STREAMD, our primary goal was to create a service that would guide patients through their surgical experience and provide them with a source of information, encouragement, and empowerment. This has not changed. More than ever, we continue to value their voice, and have subsequently built our product on the shoulders of their voices! To our patients, WE THANK YOU for your ideas and voices!