Personal assistance for people with physical disabilities: consumer-direction and satisfaction with services.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether people who receive consumer-directed personal assistance services (PAS) are more satisfied with the services they receive than those receiving PAS that are not consumer-directed.


METHODS
A quasi-experimental survey comparison of long-term outcomes among people receiving consumer-directed PAS in Virginia and persons on the waiting list to receive those services. Surveys were conducted by mail and telephone.


METHODS
The general community in Virginia.


METHODS
Ninety-two Virginia residents with physical disabilities living in the community. Sixty individuals were receiving consumer-directed PAS, and 32 were on the waiting list for consumer-directed PAS and were receiving paid personal assistance that was not consumer-directed.


METHODS
The Personal Assistance Satisfaction Index (PASI); chi2 and t tests were conducted.


RESULTS
People receiving consumer-directed PAS scored significantly higher on the PASI than the waiting-list control group and were consistently more likely to report high levels of satisfaction on the majority of individual PASI items.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumer-directed PAS are associated with high levels of satisfaction relative to PAS that are not consumer-directed. Individual PASI items related to control over PAS and flexibility of services showed the greatest differences in satisfaction.
Beatty
P W
PW
National Rehabilitation Hospital Research Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Richmond
G W
GW
Tepper
S
S
DeJong
G
G
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010548:Personal Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014768:Virginia