Thirty years of formal feedback: Current situation, problems, and solutions

Formal feedback refers to the regular collection of data on the effectiveness of treatments, as well as the tracking of treatment progress and the provision of information for clinical decision-making. Looking back at its thirty-year development history, formal feedback has made significant progress in terms of effectiveness testing, clinical implementation, and application. However, it also reveals several issues. Overall, formal feedback can effectively improve treatment outcomes, but its effectiveness is influenced by factors such as the type of feedback system, the feedback process, the severity of the patient’s symptoms, and the environment in which the treatment is carried out. In studies examining the effectiveness of formal feedback, there still remains a lack of cross-cultural evidence, insufficient validation from specific clinical populations, and unclear mechanisms behind its effects. At the practical and applied level, there are challenges related to the implementation of such systems.