2-COM: an instrument to facilitate patient-professional communication in routine clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE
A simple patient-completed self-report instrument may facilitate patient-professional carer communication.


METHODS
A 19-item self-report needs schedule was used in a sample of 243 out-patients with non-affective psychosis. Patients and professional carers commented on the usefulness of the instrument. In a subgroup of 95 patient-carer dyads, the professional carer was asked to rate the needs in addition to the patient.


RESULTS
Patients scored their needs reliably and lower than the professionals (OR = 0.9, 95% CI: 0.9, 0.97). Concordance between patients and professional carers on individual needs was very low. More than 50% of the professional carers and more than 80% of the patients found 2-COM useful. The higher the number of needs indicated by the patient, the greater the discrepancy between patients and professional carers with regard to the usefulness of the schedule.


CONCLUSIONS
2-COM is a useful instrument to expose, and subsequently bridge, patient-professional carer discordance on patient needs.
van Os
J
J
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. j.vanos@sp.unimaas.nl
Altamura
A C
AC
Bobes
J
J
Owens
D C
DC
Gerlach
J
J
Hellewell
J S E
JS
Kasper
S
S
Naber
D
D
Tarrier
N
N
Robert
P
P
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires