Patients versus rehabilitation practitioners: a comparison of assessments of needs for care

A group of 47 young adults suffering from schizophrenia was interviewed to garner their views on their needs for care.

Three members of a specialized multidisciplinary rehabilitation team, who had been caring for these patients, on average, for the past 4 years, completed a questionnaire to assess the needs for care of these individuals. Patient and staff assessments were then compared.

Patients and staff do not share similar views on the presence of clinical and social problems. Further analyses of the perceived importance of living-skills deficits, the perceived difficulties in dealing with these, and the recent developments in rehabilitation practices challenge whether patient-staff consensus is indeed essential for rehabilitation.

We propose that staff should listen to patients' points of view more carefully, especially in the areas of work, studies, and independent living.