Consumer satisfaction in schizophrenia - A 2-year randomized controlled study of two community-based treatment programs

Quality management and quality control of health services have become incre asingly important. Central to the concept of quality of care is the consume r's (the patient's) own view of the care provided. UKU (Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser), a task force within the Scandinavian Society for Psychopha rmacology, has designed a brief consumer satisfaction rating scale, the UKU -ConSat. The UKU-ConSat rating scale was applied in a randomised comparativ e two-year study of two community-based treatment programs. The study inclu ded 84 patients with schizophrenic disorders according to DSM-IV. The major finding was a significantly increased consumer satisfaction with the new c ommunity-based program "Integrated Care" in comparison with best-establishe d practice, called "Rational Rehabilitation." Thus, the new UKU-ConSat rati ng scale can detect differences, not only for in-patients as has previously been shown, but also between programs in community care settings. By per i tem analysis it was possible to discriminate between various elements of co nsumer satisfaction. There were significant correlations between the UKU-Co nSat total scores and other clinical outcome domains, viz. symptoms, social function, and patient as well as carer's distress. To conclude, the UKU-Co nSat rating scale is suitable for quality management and monitoring of trea tment programs in mental health services.