Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T02:19:21.146Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Patient and Therapist Views of Different Waiting List Procedures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

David Westbrook
David Westbrook
Affiliation:
Warneford Hospital, Oxford
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

One way of trying to minimize the problems arising from long waiting lists for psychological treatment is to see patients for assessment soon after referral, with the aims of making some contact, helping to reduce demoralization, and perhaps providing some practical coping advice. There is some evidence that such procedure may produce better outcomes in subsequent treatment, but also relevant is how people feel about these procedures and whether they meet patients' perceived needs. This paper reports some data on these questions. The data suggest that such an early contact procedure was strongly preferred by patients, but less strongly by therapists, particularly if the therapist treating a patient was not the same person who made the early contact. What patients liked about the early contact seemed to be mainly “non-specific” components such as reduced isolation and increased understanding. As such procedures seem to produce at least as good outcomes, and are preferred by patients, it is suggested that they should be the treatment of choice for clinics with long waiting lists.

Type
Clinical Section
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 169 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blakey, R., Sinclair, J. and Taylor, R. (1994). Patient satisfaction with short clinical psychology contact. Clinical Psychology Forum 69, 13–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsen, D.L., Attkisson, C.C., Hargreaves, W.A. and Nguyen, T.D. (1979). Assessment of client/patient satisfaction: development of a general scale. Evaluation & Program Planning 2, 197–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newnes, C. (1988). A note on waiting lists. Clinical Psychology Forum 13, 15–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newnes, C. (1993). A further note on waiting lists. Clinical Psychology Forum 53, 33–35.Google Scholar
Shawe-Taylor, M., Richards, J., Sage, N. and Young, E. (1994). Assessment appointments prior to being placed on the waiting list. Clinical Psychology Forum 70, 23–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Startup, M. (1994). Dealing with waiting lists for adult mental health services. Clinical Psychology Forum 68, 5–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westbrook, D., Kirk, J., Whitehead, L., Hogg, L. and Kennerley, H. (1991). Different waiting list procedures for a psychology out-patient clinic: does early assessment help?Presented at the Annual Conference of the British Association for Behavioural Psychotherapy; manuscript in preparation.Google Scholar
Westbrook, D. and Kirk, J. (1993). Cutting waiting lists by limiting treatment: an evaluation.Presented at the European Association for Behaviour Therapy Annual Conference; manuscript in preparation.Google Scholar
White, J. (1993). Stresspac: a controlled trial of a self-help package for the anxiety disorders.Presented at the European Association for Behaviour Therapy Annual Conference; submitted for publication.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.