An analysis of consumer perspectives following contact with an eating-disorders service

Objective: The views of consumers following contact with treatment for eati ng disorders represent an underresearched aspect of service provision. The aim of this paper is to examine patterns of consumer satisfaction following contact with a specialist eating- disorders service. Method: Using both a structured and an open-ended questionnaire format, con sumer perspectives were sought routinely through postal survey 3 months aft er the point of first contact. Responses were analysed from 120 patients wh o returned their questionnaires during the 2-year period ending in December 1998. Results: Although the structured response format indicated high rates of sa tisfaction, the open-ended format revealed five categories describing the p erceived best and worst aspects following consultation with the service. Th e category of therapeutic alliance drew the majority of positive comments, while the most frequently cited worst aspect of consultation was the catego ry of treatment type. Conclusions: People with eating disorders form a unique group of mental hea lth consumers to survey for satisfaction. While approval ratings prompted b y both structured and open-ended questions were high, and centred around th e theme of therapeutic alliance, the most frequent source of negative comme ntary was activities and structures considered essential by traditional tre atment modalities. This provides important insights into the predicaments o f people with eating disorders presenting for treatment, and the importance of developing satisfaction surveys to accommodate such predicaments and co ncerns.