Consumer satisfaction with services in a regional psychiatric hospital: A collaborative research project in Kentucky

Consumer satisfaction with mental health services is a dimension of outcome . This report is on a university and state mental health department researc h project that involved development of the Kentucky Consumer Satisfaction I nstrument (KY-CSI) and a retrospective, cross-sectional study designed to m easure consumer satisfaction with services at a regional psychiatric hospit al. Triangulation of methods guided the survey of participants (N = 189) ne ar discharge from the hospital during a 6-month period. Research associates , who were former consumers of mental health services, collected data durin g face-to-face interviews, Most participants were unemployed White men. Fac tor analysis indicated the 19-item instrument was unidimensional; Cronbach' s a was 0.90. Multiple regression indicated predictors of satisfaction were levels of education and diagnosis. As education increased, satisfaction de creased; participants with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder tended to be mor e satisfied than those with other diagnoses. Analysis of qualitative data c ombined with standardized summary of KY-CSI items indicated participants we re most satisfied with opportunities to talk with other patients and least satisfied about lack of involvement of people with whom they lived in disch arge planning. Study findings guided recommendations for quality of care an d additional studies at other hospital sites. Copyright (C) 2001 by W.B. Sa unders Company.