Patient-Reported Experience Measures for In- and Outpatients in Mental Health and Substance Use Services:...

We implemented the first national patient experience survey, with novel patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), in out- and inpatient mental health and substance use services in Finland.

The Outpatient Experience Scale (OPES) and the Inpatient Experience Scale (IPES) were co-designed with experts by experience and professionals. The survey was carried out in 2021 in 435 treatment facilities. We applied bi-factor analysis of ordinal indicators to prespecified and exploratory models.

We received 8794 outpatient and 1112 inpatient responses. Both the OPES and the IPES were essentially unidimensional, with high internal consistency (omega 0.98 in both) and strong factor loadings. The Net Promoter Score item was a fairly poor indicator of overall satisfaction. The most positive experiences were related to respect and acceptance, while statements related to receiving information and inclusion of significant others in the treatment process received more critical feedback. The best experience was in integrated mental health and substance use services. Involuntarily admitted patients had the most negative patient experiences.

The new PREMs proved to work well in measuring patient experience. Service users generally reported positive experiences. The primary service development need is sharing information with patients.