The development of a tool to measure service user satisfaction with in-patient forensic services: The Forensic Satisfaction Scale.
BACKGROUND
Service-user satisfaction helps determine the quality of services. No valid measure of service-user satisfaction in forensic mental health settings has been developed.


OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a scale designed to measure satisfaction with forensic mental health services.


METHODS
Participants were from three forensic mental health units. Items generated from focus groups were developed into a self-report scale and factor analysed. This was administered with a non-forensic satisfaction self-report scale, the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale (VSSS) and assessed for internal consistency and validity.


RESULTS
A 60-item scale was produced comprising seven subscales recording moderate to high levels of internal consistency and concurrent validity with the VSSS.


CONCLUSIONS
The scale is a promising instrument for assessing service-user satisfaction with forensic mental health in-patient services.
MacInnes
Douglas
D
Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK. douglas.macinnes@canterbury.ac.uk <douglas.macinnes@canterbury.ac.uk>
Beer
Dominic
D
Keeble
Peter
P
Rees
David
D
Reid
Leon
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult