Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Referrer satisfaction with services provided at a national and specialist clinic for OCD and related disorders in children and adolescents

Doreen Hoerold, Georgina Krebs, Cynthia Turner, Isobel Heyman

Abstract


Rationale: Referrer satisfaction is an often-neglected outcome measure in mental health services and can inform service improvements. We examined referrer satisfaction with a specialist OCD service for young people.

Method:  An online satisfaction questionnaire, comprising 19 closed and one open-ended question, was sent to 155 referrers of whom 30 (19.4%) responded.

Results: Satisfaction was high overall. However, higher levels of satisfaction were noted with respect to treatment plans as compared to treatment outcome. Referrers also made recommendations for service improvements, such as increased communication during treatment, recommendations for after-care, managing co-morbidity and improving patient engagement.

Conclusions: Referrer satisfaction may be improved by addressing these aspects of the service.

Keywords


Children and families, obsessive compulsive disorder, person-centered care, referrer satisfaction, service improvement

Full Text:

PDF

References


National Institute for Mental Health in England. (2005). Outcomes measures implementation best practice guidance. London: NIMHE.

Rosemann, T., Wensing, M., Rueter, G. & Szecsenyi, J. (2006). Referrals from general practice to consultants in Germany: If the GP is the initiator, patients' experiences are more positive. BMC Health Services Research 6 (1) 5.

Bjertnaes, O.A., Garratt, A., Iversen, H. & Ruud, T. (2009). The association between GP and patient ratings of quality of care at outpatient clinics. Family Practice 26 (5) 384-390.

Shipley, K., Hilborn, B., Hansell, A., Tyrer, J. & Tyrer, P. (2000). Patient satisfaction: a valid index of quality of care in a psychiatric service. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 101 (4) 330-333.

Eyers, K., Brodaty, H. & Roy, K. (1994). What the doctor ordered? Referrer satisfaction with a mood disorders unit. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 28 (3) 498-504.

Hilton, K., Turner, C., Krebs, G., Volz, C. & Heyman, I. (2011). Parent Experiences of Attending a Specialist Clinic for Assessment of their Child’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 17 (1) 31-36.

Vogel, P.A., Hansen, B., Stiles, T.C. & Götestam, K.G. (2006). Treatment motivation, treatment expectancy, and helping alliance as predictors of outcome in cognitive behavioral treatment of OCD. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 37 (3) 247-255.

Huppert, J.D., Siev, J. & Kushner, E.S. (2007). When religion and obsessive–compulsive disorder collide: Treating scrupulosity in ultra-orthodox Jews. Journal of Clinical Psychology 63 (10) 925-941.

Kaplowitz, M.D., Hadlock, T.D. & Levine, R. (2004). A comparison of web and mail survey response rates. Public Opinion Quarterly 68 (1) 94-101.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v2i2.718

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.