A Retolaza1, G Grandes. 1. Centro de Salud Mental de Basauri, Vizcaya, Spain. basauri@smeb.osakidetza.net
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The user's satisfaction with the health services is an area of increasing interest. Usually the relation between satisfaction and expectations is not taken into account. The objective [corrected] of this paper is to describe the user's expectations, before treatment, in an out patient Mental Health Center and to investigate their satisfaction with the service adjusted by these expectations. METHODS: During six months all patients attending an outpatient mental health center of the Basque Public Health Service, are interviewed (n=315). The survey included the basic sociodemographic variables, one questionnaire of expectations and another one of clinical symptomatology (SCL-90-R). The patients were reviewed six months later by a new SCL-90-R and a questionnaire on satisfaction (CSQ-8). In order to select the factors which gathered the most important expectations, an analysis of principal components was made. A model, incluiding the best variables to explain satisfaction with the service, was adjusted by means of multiple linear regression, taking the expectations into account. RESULTS: Expectations on psychological explorations and interventions were greater than those on biological characteristics. Three factors called <<psychological procedures>>, <<biological procedures>> and <<invasive procedures>> explained 10 % of the variance. For each increasing point in the initial SCL-90-R, the index of satisfaction decreased 0.02. For each point added to symptomatic recovery, the same index rose in 0.03. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with the service was associated with less severity in initial psychopathology, symptomatic recovery and biological expectations. The psychological expectations were associated with less satisfaction.
INTRODUCTION: The user's satisfaction with the health services is an area of increasing interest. Usually the relation between satisfaction and expectations is not taken into account. The objective [corrected] of this paper is to describe the user's expectations, before treatment, in an out patient Mental Health Center and to investigate their satisfaction with the service adjusted by these expectations. METHODS: During six months all patients attending an outpatient mental health center of the Basque Public Health Service, are interviewed (n=315). The survey included the basic sociodemographic variables, one questionnaire of expectations and another one of clinical symptomatology (SCL-90-R). The patients were reviewed six months later by a new SCL-90-R and a questionnaire on satisfaction (CSQ-8). In order to select the factors which gathered the most important expectations, an analysis of principal components was made. A model, incluiding the best variables to explain satisfaction with the service, was adjusted by means of multiple linear regression, taking the expectations into account. RESULTS: Expectations on psychological explorations and interventions were greater than those on biological characteristics. Three factors called <<psychological procedures>>, <<biological procedures>> and <<invasive procedures>> explained 10 % of the variance. For each increasing point in the initial SCL-90-R, the index of satisfaction decreased 0.02. For each point added to symptomatic recovery, the same index rose in 0.03. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with the service was associated with less severity in initial psychopathology, symptomatic recovery and biological expectations. The psychological expectations were associated with less satisfaction.