STAFF AND PATIENT FEEDBACK IN MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES FOR OLDER-PEOPLE

Objectives-To compare the views of patients and staff on the quality o f care provided on a psychogeriatric assessment ward over a five year period. To describe the quality improvements which were made as a resu lt of their respective comments. Design-Structured interviews were con ducted with both patients and staff to obtain qualitative feedback and suggestions for improvement. An analysis of the percentage of positiv e and negative comments made by both patients and staff was used to co mpare the levels of satisfaction on a variety of aspects of the servic e provided. Setting-Psychogeriatric inpatient assessment ward. Subject s-75 patients and 85 staff interviews were conducted. Main measures-St ructured interviews covering various aspects of service quality. Resul ts-Staff and patients picked up on different aspects of service qualit y as important. Quality improvements which arose from the interviews w ere clearly different. Generally patients were more positive about the physical environment and standards of professional care than staff, b ut less positive about issues of privacy, social interaction, and empo werment. Conclusions-The perspectives of patients and staff in this ar ea are not interchangeable. Both series of interviews led to several p ositive changes in the quality of care. Interviews with staff seem to have been valuable in a low morale situation. A structured interview f ormat provided patients with an opportunity to feedback openly and led to changes in service quality which would not otherwise have occurred .