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 research project that involved development of the Kentucky Consumer Satisfaction Instrument (KY-CSI) and a retrospective, cross-sectional study designed to measure consumer satisfaction with services at a regional psychiatric hospital. Triangulation of methods guided the survey of participants (N = 189) near discharge from the hospital during a 6-month period. Research associates, who were former consumers of mental health services, collected data during face-to-face interviews. Most participants were unemployed White men. Factor analysis indicated the 19-item instrument was unidimensional; Cronbach's alpha was 0.90. Multiple regression indicated predictors of satisfaction were levels of education and diagnosis. As education increased, satisfaction decreased; participants with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder tended to be more satisfied than those with other diagnoses. Analysis of qualitative data combined with standardized summary of KY-CSI items indicated participants were most satisfied with opportunities to talk with other patients and least satisfied about lack of involvement of people with whom they lived in discharge planning. Study findings guided recommendations for quality of care and additional studies at other hospital sites.