The Informational Value of Patients’ Online Reviews

Qudaih, Rawan (2025) The Informational Value of Patients’ Online Reviews. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the collection of unstructured feedback, such as text comments, from patients regarding their healthcare experiences. Patient online reviews (PORs) serve as a valuable data source, reflecting patient satisfaction, concerns, and overall experiences with healthcare providers. However, the healthcare domain has yet to widely adopt advanced analysis techniques to systematically examine and interpret such feedback, representing a missed opportunity to fully understand the nuanced factors influencing patient satisfaction and healthcare outcomes. This thesis introduces a comprehensive text-mining methodology applied to a large dataset of patient feedback, linking narrative commentary to corresponding numeric ratings. By analysing PORs at the Physician, Primary, and Secondary healthcare levels, the research aims to uncover deeper insights into the factors driving patient satisfaction across various healthcare services. These insights are crucial for identifying areas of improvement and informing strategies to enhance the quality of care provided.

This thesis applies a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative techniques, including Regression Analysis, Sentiment Analysis, and Structural Topic Modeling (STM), to comprehensively examine patient experiences. The research identifies two main categories of factors significantly influencing patient satisfaction. Medical Staff Factors are related to healthcare providers' interpersonal and professional competencies, and Process Management Factors, focusing on the efficiency of operational processes such as appointments, administration, diagnosis, and treatment. These findings are framed within established healthcare service quality frameworks, such as the SERVQUAL and Donabedian models, offering a structured understanding of how these factors interact to shape patient perceptions across different healthcare environments. The thesis contributes to the academic literature by providing in-depth insights into patient feedback and offering a clearer understanding of the relationship between healthcare service quality and patient satisfaction. Practical implications for healthcare providers and policymakers suggest targeted strategic interventions to enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and patient engagement. The thesis concludes by outlining potential avenues for future research, particularly in the application of advanced analytical techniques to further explore the dynamics of patient satisfaction in healthcare.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Norwich Business School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2025 13:28
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2025 13:28
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100894
DOI:

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