title: Quality assessment of mental health care by people with severe mental disorders: a participatory research project.
abstract: This study assessed the perceived quality of care by consumers with severe mental disorders. A questionnaire investigating service quality was developed by a consumer focus group and filled by 204 consumers. In five areas the negative evaluations exceeded or closely approximated the positive ones: choice of professionals, waiting times, information about illness and medications. All five do not refer to the outcomes of care, but to the concept of responsiveness. The results confirmed that people with severe mental disorders can give value judgments on various aspects of care. However, even in a service strongly oriented towards community care, the consumers' needs in sensitive areas concerning choices, respect and autonomy are not met. The application of the concept of responsiveness to quality improvement may help services to meet consumers' expectations.
authors: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy, angelo.barbato@marionegri.it.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Barbato
authors: Alessia
authors: A
authors: Bajoni
authors: Filippo
authors: F
authors: Rapisarda
authors: Vito
authors: V
authors: D'Anza
authors: Luigi Fabrizio
authors: LF
authors: De Luca
authors: Cristiana
authors: C
authors: Inglese
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Iapichino
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Mauriello
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: D'Avanzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000592:standards; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires