title: Toward a national consumer survey: evaluation of the CABHS and MHSIP instruments.
abstract: This article describes a study evaluating the Consumer Assessment of Behavioral Health Survey (CABHS) and the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP) surveys. The purpose of the study was to provide data that could be used to develop recommendations for an improved instrument. Subjects were 3,443 adults in six behavioral health plans. The surveys did not differ significantly in response rate or consumer burden. Both surveys reliably assessed access to treatment and aspects of appropriateness and quality. The CABHS survey reliably assessed features of the insurance plan; the MHSIP survey reliably assessed treatment outcome. Analyses of comparable items suggested which survey items had greater validity. Results are discussed in terms of consistency with earlier research using these and other consumer surveys. Implications and recommendations for survey development, quality improvement, and national policy initiatives to evaluate health plan performance are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Services Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. seisen@mclean.harvard.edu
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shaul
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Leff
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stringfellow
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Clarridge
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States