Biomaterial Database

[Continuity of patient care and patient satisfaction in a community-based psychiatric service]. 2005

Susanne Maria Møller-Madsen, and Jens Meyer Svendsen, and Poul Kjaersgaard

Almenpsykiatrisk Afdeling, Holbaek Sygehus, Psykiatrisk Center.

BACKGROUND The aim of this investigation was to evaluate whether the mandated quality standards concerning doctor and team member/patient continuity in treatment had been achieved. Furthermore, we wanted to assess the degree of patient satisfaction with the psychiatric service. METHODS Retrospectively, we chose 319 consecutive treatments over a period of six months and assessed the number of doctor/patient contacts and the number of patient contacts with other team members (nurse, psychologist and social worker). The results were compared to the goals stated in the standards. Patient satisfaction was assessed by questionnaire. 235 patients were asked to participate; 114 (48%) responded. RESULTS In all, 2,600 contacts were registered. 2,449 (94.2%) of these were contacts between patients and team. Though the material included 79 cases of admittance to hospital and 14 cases of admittance to day hospital, the continuity of contact (patient/team) remained unbroken in more than 90% of the cases. The responses to the ''satisfaction questionnaires'' were uniformly positive, showing a high degree of satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS If the same team member sees the patient during admissions and ambulatory practice, a high degree of continuity can be achieved. How this can be done when combined with other specialties is a challenge for the future. 75% of those responding to this questionnaire were satisfied or very satisfied within the areas explored. A high level of patient satisfaction is hardly equivalent to a high professional standard, but high patient satisfaction is certainly indicative of good treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010348	Patient Care Team	Care of patients by a multidisciplinary team usually organized under the leadership of a physician; each member of the team has specific responsibilities and the whole team contributes to the care of the patient.	Health Care Team,Interdisciplinary Health Team,Medical Care Team,Multidisciplinary Care Team,Multidisciplinary Health Team,Healthcare Team,Care Team, Health,Care Team, Medical,Care Team, Multidisciplinary,Care Team, Patient,Care Teams, Health,Care Teams, Patient,Health Care Teams,Health Team, Interdisciplinary,Health Team, Multidisciplinary,Healthcare Teams,Interdisciplinary Health Teams,Medical Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Care Teams,Multidisciplinary Health Teams,Patient Care Teams,Team, Health Care,Team, Healthcare,Team, Interdisciplinary Health,Team, Medical Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Care,Team, Multidisciplinary Health,Team, Patient Care,Teams, Interdisciplinary Health
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011369	Professional-Patient Relations	Interactions between health personnel and patients.	Contacting Clients,Pharmacist-Patient Relations,Professional Patient Relationship,Client, Contacting,Clients, Contacting,Contacting Client,Pharmacist Patient Relations,Pharmacist-Patient Relation,Professional Patient Relations,Professional Patient Relationships,Professional-Patient Relation,Relation, Pharmacist-Patient,Relation, Professional-Patient,Relations, Pharmacist-Patient,Relations, Professional-Patient,Relationship, Professional Patient,Relationships, Professional Patient
D011785	Quality Assurance, Health Care	Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps.	Quality Assessment, Health Care,Health Care Quality Assessment,Health Care Quality Assurance,Healthcare Quality Assessment,Healthcare Quality Assurance,Quality Assessment, Healthcare,Quality Assurance, Healthcare,Assessment, Healthcare Quality,Assessments, Healthcare Quality,Assurance, Healthcare Quality,Assurances, Healthcare Quality,Healthcare Quality Assessments,Healthcare Quality Assurances,Quality Assessments, Healthcare,Quality Assurances, Healthcare
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003156	Community Mental Health Services	Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive mental health services provided for individuals in the community.	Community Mental Health Service,Mental Health Services, Community,Assertive Community Treatment,Health Services, Community Mental,Services, Community Mental Health,Services, Mental Health Community,Community Treatment, Assertive,Treatment, Assertive Community
D003266	Continuity of Patient Care	Health care provided on a continuing basis from the initial contact, following the patient through all phases of medical care.	Continuum of Care,Continuity of Care,Care Continuity,Care Continuity, Patient,Care Continuum,Patient Care Continuity
D003718	Denmark	A country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The capital is Copenhagen.	Faeroe Islands,Faroe Islands
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective