Effect of the medication management module evaluated using the role play test

Training in social skills has been shown to have a strong, positive impact, according to behavioral measures, on social skills, self-rated assertiveness, and the hospital discharge rate. It is important to establish a system of assessing social skills because it is necessary for the effects of social skills training to be assessed in Japan. In Project 1, we devised a Japanese version of the role play test to quantify social skills using a standard method. We tested 30 patients attending the day hospital who were considered to need intensive rehabilitation. We found the role play test had high inter-rater and test-retest reliability, and had construct validity and criterion related validity. Thus, the role play test was thought to be a useful tool for assessing social skills. For Project 2, eight inpatients who were ready for discharge but who needed to improve their skills in self-managed medication participated in this study. The social skills of self-managed medication assessed using the role play test were significantly improved after the subjects participated in the Medication Management Module of the UCLA social and independent living skills program. Knowledge of self-managed medication also tended to improve after training. This study is preliminary and it should be confirmed that improved skills influenced by the medication management module decreases the relapse rates.