Introduction Care Opinion is an online feedback platform supporting patients to author stories about their care. It is not known whether authors would be willing to be involved in improving care through research. The aims of this study were to explore the views and preferences of Care Opinion authors about joining an online research community and to pilot new research community functionality. Methods Five hundred and nine Care Opinion authors were invited to take part in an online survey in June 2019. Survey items included questions about participants' willingness to take part in research and their preferences for supporting processes. Data were analysed descriptively. Authors were invited to consent to join a research community and were asked to participate in three pilot studies. Results One hundred and sixty‐three people consented to take part in the survey (32%). Participants indicated they would like to know the time commitment to the project (146, 90%), details about the organization carrying out the research (124, 76%) and safeguarding information (124, 76%). Over half indicated that they did not know how to get involved in healthcare research (87, 53%). Subsequently, 667 authors were invited to join the research community, 183 (27%) accepted, and three studies were matched to their expressed preferences for project attributes or organization type. Conclusion Many people who leave online feedback about their experiences of healthcare are also willing to join a research community via that platform. They have strong preferences for supporting University and NHS research. Eligibility and acceptance rates to join pilot research studies varied. Further work is needed to grow the research community, increase its diversity, and create relevant and varied opportunities to support research. Patient or Public Contribution Four members of the Safety In Numbers patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group advised about survey development.

Background : Patients, families, and communities regularly provide feedback about care and treatment received from healthcare services, most of which is positive. The aim of this review was to examine how positive feedback creates change within healthcare settings. Methods : Included documents were empirical studies where the full text is publicly available in English, and where a change has occurred within healthcare services attributed to positive feedback from service users, their families, or the community. They were identified through database searches (ACM Digital Library, AMED, ASSIA, CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO), forwards and backwards citation, and expert consultation. Data was synthesised into a change model describing forms, mediators and moderators of change. A protocol was prospectively registered: https://osf.io/5x46c . Results : Sixty-eight papers were included, describing research conducted in 32 countries across six continents, with qualitative (n=51), quantitative (n=10), and mixed (n=7) methods. Only two described interventional studies. The most common form of feedback was ‘appreciation’ (n=28). The most common recipients were nurses (n=29). Positive feedback was most commonly given in hospitals (n=27) and community healthcare (n=19). Positive feedback mostly led to positive outcomes categorised as (a) short-term emotional change for healthcare workers (including feeling motivated and improved psychological wellbeing), (b) work-home interactional change for healthcare workers (such as improved home-life relationships), and (c) work-related change for healthcare workers (such as improved performance and staff retention). Undesirable changes included embarrassment when receiving feedback, tension in the patient-professional relationship, and envy when not receiving positive feedback. Conclusion : Positive feedback can provide the opportunity to create meaningful health service change. Healthcare managers may wish to use positive feedback more regularly, and to identify and address barriers to staff receiving feedback. Further interventional research is required to establish the effectiveness of receiving positive feedback in creating change, and to understand the influence of feedback content.