Online communities as a new source of exploring patient dissatisfaction

The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether internet forums are an appropriate source for identification of causes of dissatisfaction of patients with non-medical aspects of healthcare services.

Based on the guidelines of netnography qualitative research the authors identify relevant posts or comments on selected online forums in which web users show their dissatisfaction with healthcare services. Five popular Slovenian forums representing different interest communities have been chosen and 42 forums' topics have been reviewed.

Online communities have an important role in exploring patient dissatisfaction. Through content analysis comments were coded into meaningful categories and subcategories.

Some comments were more explicit, while others have provided general and looser reasons for dissatisfaction, and in such cases coding and content analysis of comments was more difficult.

Contents expressed within online communities are helpful in designing improvement activities since they enable determination of concrete relevant measures aiming at eliminating and preventing the established causes of discontent, such as instituting new policies, introducing training programs, determining desired changes in culture.

Usefulness of the netnography as a qualitative method of research is confirmed through confirmation that causes of dissatisfaction of Slovenian patients, which have been identified in the authors research are similar to those identified in previous research in the field of patient satisfaction conducted in Slovenia. Results constitute a new form of researching patient dissatisfaction and expose the specific causes of patient dissatisfaction with healthcare services in Slovenia.