Sharing a story doesn't require a lot of preparation but there are a few things worth thinking about to help you get the maximum impact from sharing your story.
This is a moderated platform
| Every story is moderated | Our moderation principles can be read on our website at |
| Staff are de-identified when feedback is critical | When staff respond to your story they often invite you to contact them offline too. That's when you can share the staff's details with them. |
| Storytellers are de-identified to help them remain anonymous | We know some people are comfortable with being identified, but as Care Opinion is an anonymous platform, we do need to de-identify you. |
Please note that if you are not comfortable with your story being moderated or want staff to be publicly named in relation to a negative experience, another platform may be more suited to your needs.
Choosing a username
As Care Opinion is anonymous, you are asked to create a username because your real name cannot be used. This is the name service providers will refer to you as when they respond to your story. It is also how we will address you if we need to send you an email.
Things to avoid in usernames | Examples |
Names of any kind, even if that isn't your own real name. | John-Smith or Jane-Doe |
Any part of your email address (as this may be recorded in your patient records). | kittycat if your email is kittycat@gmail.com |
Ages or dates/years of birth | John1964 or Jane82 |
| Genders unless the nature of your story makes your gender very obvious (e.g. stories about pregnancy) | Dancing lady or tradie-man |
Emotions - just because when you share your next story, you might be feeling very different. | Mad-mum or thrilled-patient |
If your username includes any of these things, we do need to generate a new username for you as part of our commitment to maintaining your anonymity.
If you can't think of a username, you can always generate a username using the platform's random username generator.
If want a different username to the one you chose for your first story, just email us at moderators@careopinion.org.au and we can generate a new one for you.
Deciding on the detail
Sharing a story isn't like filling in a patient form or application for a care home. It's about sharing what happened to you and what it meant to you. Here are some ideas on what you might want to consider sharing.
| Great to include | Best to avoid |
If you remember staff members' names and the experience with them was positive, it's great to include that story so their manager hears about it. | If you had a negative experience or the comment about a staff member is critical, we need to take out the names of staff to make sure everyone stays safe online. |
So that staff can understand your story, it is good to include a little information about why you were receiving care. It doesn't need to be super detailed, just enough to give context to why you were there. | You don't have to include specific dates and times as we typically remove that during moderation. This is because it can be possible for staff to work out who you (or your loved one) are if they know exactly when you were there. |
It's also important to give enough detail that helps people reading your story to understand what happened that leads you to feel the way you do. For example, if you say that all staff were terrible, staff won't know what staff did that you found terrible. And if you say the care was good, let them know what it was that was good about the care so they know to keep doing it! |
The only thing to keep in mind is that while we do our best to keep your identity hidden, if you include a lot of clinical details (such as what all your symptoms were), the staff who looked after you might remember treating you for those symptoms.
Also remember that if something happened that is really rememberable, (e.g. you got into an argument with someone looking after you, you were removed by security) they might remember you even after we de-identify you.