Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T04:59:20.469Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Client satisfaction among outpatients attending an Irish community mental health service

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Shane Hill ,
Niall Turner ,
Siobhan Barry  and
Eadbhard O'Callaghan
Shane Hill
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Service, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, Ireland
Niall Turner*
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Dublin, Ireland
Siobhan Barry
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Service, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, Ireland
Eadbhard O'Callaghan
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Service, DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service and UCD, School of Medicine, Ireland
*
Correspondence E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To assess patient satisfaction with mental health services. Client satisfaction with mental health services is attracting increasing attention and is now considered a key outcome variable in evaluating mental health services. The Quality Framework (Mental Health Commission (MHC)), and Vision for Change (VFC) support such evaluation. However, there are no published quantitative data from Irish users of a community mental health service.

Method: We invited outpatients attending a Dublin community mental health service to complete a standardised self-report instrument (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, CSQ-8) and provide qualitative feedback.

Results: Of the seventy-nine respondents, 80% report they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the service. However, they were critical of; access to, operation of, and communication with the mental health services.

Conclusions: Although satisfied, when given the opportunity to comment, service users can be critical of aspects of the service they receive. Only using quantitative evaluation of outpatient client satisfaction levels may fail to capture important consumer suggestions for service development. Recent recommendations and upcoming changes would address a number of the criticisms of mental health services identified in this study.

Keywords

Patient satisfactionService userMental healthVision for ChangeCSQ
Type
Brief Report
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , September 2009 , pp. 127 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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

1.Fitzpatrick, R. Surveys of patients satisfaction: Important general considerations. BMJ 1991; 302(6781): 887–889CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Ruggeri, M, Lasalvia, A, Bisoffi, Get al.EPSILON Study Group. Satisfaction with mental health services among people with schizophrenia in five European sites: results from the EPSILON Study. Schiz Bull 2003; 29(2): 229–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Mattsson, M, Lawoko, S, Cullberg, J, Olsson, U, Hansson, L, Forsell, Y. Background factors as determinants of satisfaction with care among first-episode psychosis patients. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2005; 40(9): 749–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Berghofer, G, Lang, A, Henkel, H, Schmidl, F, Rudas, S, Schmitz, M. Satisfaction of inpatients and outpatients with staff, environment, and other patients. Psychiatr Serv 2001; 52(1): 104–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.A Vision for Change. Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, Department of Health and Children, 2006.Google Scholar
6.Mental Health Commission. Quality Framework: Mental Health Services in Ireland. Mental Health Commission 2006; Dublin, IrelandGoogle Scholar
7.Ruggeri, M. Patients' and relatives' satisfaction with psychiatric services: the state of the art of its measurement. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidem 1994; 29(5): 212–27. Rev.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Soelling, ME, Newell, TG. Effects of anonymity and experimenter demand on client satisfaction with mental health services. Eval Program Plann 1983; 6(3–4): 329–33CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Mental Health Commission. Quality in Mental Health – Your Views, a report on stakeholder consultation on quality in mental health services. Mental Health Commission 2005; Dublin, IrelandGoogle Scholar
10.Dunne, E. The Views of adult users of the public sector mental health services. Mental Health Commission 2006; Dublin, IrelandGoogle Scholar
11.Howard, PB, El-Mallakh, P, Kay Rayens, M, Clark, JJ. Consumer perspectives on quality of inpatient mental health services. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2003; 17(5): 205–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Barak, Y, Szor, H, Kimhi, R, Kam, E, Mester, R, Elizur, A. Survey of patient satisfaction in adult psychiatric outpatient clinics. Eur Psychiatry 2001; 16(2): 131–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Chue, P, Tibbo, P, Wright, E, Van Ens, J. Client and Community Services Satisfaction With an Assertive Community Treatment Subprogram for Inner-City Clients in Edmonton, Alberta. Can J Psychiatry 2004; 49(9): 621–624CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Jones, CA. Victim Perspective of Bank Robbery Trauma and Recovery. Traumatology 4; 191–204Google Scholar
15.Rosenheck, R, Wilson, NJ, Meterko, M. Influence of patient and hospital factors on consumer satisfaction with inpatient mental health treatment. Psychiatr Serv 1997; 48(12): 1553–61.Google ScholarPubMed