Abstract

In response to the lead article by Kuluski et al. (2017), this commentary draws on UK debates around the quality of healthcare and on the author's personal experience training as a social worker. Judging whether a service has "worked" has to involve understanding what a good outcome would be for the person receiving it. While carers provide important insights here, the "user" may have a different view, and reconciling different perspectives can be challenging. Although individual services may have fulfilled their part of the process, it is important to look at the person's overall experience (although this is difficult to achieve in practice). There is also no point measuring patient experience if we are not prepared to really listen to the feedback we receive. Moving forward, the UK's personalization agenda – which focuses on giving people greater choice and control – may enhance the aims of Kuluski et al.'s work