Developing a user-generated measure of continuity of care: brief report.
OBJECTIVE
This paper describes a measure of continuity of care, establishes its reliability and tests it in a field trial sample for evidence of its validity. In contrast to others, this measure has been generated from the perspectives of service users. As continuity of care is a concern particularly for those with severe mental illness, we have confined our work to this population group.


METHODS
Service users in focus groups and expert panels generated the measure. The researchers were themselves service users. Test-retest reliability was assessed with an independent sample. The measure was administered to a final independent field trial sample to determine their experiences of continuity of care and for further psychometric testing.


RESULTS
The measure generated by service users has satisfactory psychometric properties. Service users in the field trial sample were more satisfied when continuity, as assessed by this measure, was in place.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible and valid to construct outcome measures in mental health entirely from the user perspective. This has not been done before.
Rose
D
D
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. d.rose@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Sweeney
A
A
Leese
M
M
Clement
S
S
Jones
I R
IR
Burns
T
T
Catty
J
J
Wykes
T
T
D000328:Adult; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005791:Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires