In recent years, the way people choose medical services has changed considerably, and the patient experience has become almost as important as the medical act itself.
A consultation is no longer evaluated only in terms of diagnosis or recommended treatment. For many patients, it matters if they were listened to, if the explanations they received were clear, and if they felt that the doctor paid time and attention to their questions.
Within the Regina Maria Health Network, patient experience is monitored through a digital review system that has been operating for more than 13 years. After each consultation, patients receive an evaluation form, either by email or directly in the network’s mobile application. The form allows you to rate and submit comments about the entire medical experience.
Reviews collected 100% automated, without human intervention
Answers are collected automatically, without human intervention in their processing. Thus, the feedback is analyzed objectively, and the data obtained provide a clear picture of how patients perceive medical services.
To maintain the relevance and fairness of the system, the score becomes public only after accumulating a minimum number of 10 reviews for a doctor. The notes are visible on the reginamaria.ro website and in the mobile application, where patients can choose their doctor easily, consulting the doctors’ evaluations before making an appointment. Beyond the numbers, however, the reviews often reflect the relationship of trust that is built between the doctor and the patient: “A mother wrote to me that when she talks to me she appears the light at the end of the tunnel and that he trusts me 100%”, says Dr. Lăcrămioara Dobrin, pediatric primary care physician.
1 million reviews collected from patients
The system recently crossed the threshold of 1 million reviews collectedagain the average score obtained by doctors in the network is 9.67. This data not only provides a picture of patient satisfaction, but is also a useful tool for continuous service improvement.
For doctors, the existence of such a mechanism means an invitation to continuous development, since the feedback that patients provide is most often related to the way the doctor communicates.
Patients want dialogue and understanding
Today’s patients are looking for more than medical competence. They want a doctor who listens to them and who communicates clearly and in his own way.
“I have families who regularly come back to me with their children and tell me how much it means to them that I explain to them, in their understanding, what is happening and how we can solve the problem, calmly and patiently, when the little ones go through less easy moments. I always try to put myself in the parents’ place and I imagine how hard it must be for them to see their children suffering”, reports Dr Dobrin.
In the last year, the feedback system was completed by introducing a 7 specific attributes which allow patients to specify exactly what they appreciated about the doctor. Among them are the clarity of explanations, empathy, professionalism, the way of approaching complex cases or the use of technology in the medical act.
The application also offers the option of save your favorite doctorsfacilitating future appointments and helping to build a long-term medical relationship. In pediatrics, this continuity means a lot to families and children. “When I know the children and their parents for a longer time, I see how much trust and familiarity help them feel safe. Our relationship becomes a real support, not only for their health, but also for the parents’ peace of mind,” says Dr Dobrin.
Feedback becomes more than just a grade given after consultation. It turns into a tool through which patients can directly influence the evolution of medical services. When certain observations are repeated in assessments, they indicate areas where improvements can be made. Over time, this information has contributed to the optimization of some processes in the network: from the improvement of scheduling flows and the digitization of some administrative stages, to the development of internal programs dedicated to doctor-patient communication.
