Consumer Satisfaction with Outpatient Mental Health Care: Impact of an Organizational Change in Mental Health Center Function from Hospital District to Basic Health Care

Abstract

In Finland the administrative responsibility for outpatient psychiatric care has in part been reorganized from specialized psychiatric treatment organizations to health centers. This change has been encouraged by economic pressures, but data about its impact on the quality of treatment and patient satisfaction are limited. We carried out a follow-up study by using the UKU Consumer Satisfaction Rating Scale (UKU-CONSAT) and qualitative interviews to estimate consumer satisfaction with the psychiatric outpatient care just before and 1 year after such a change. The results suggest that dissatisfaction may emerge if too little attention is paid to the longevity of the treatment relationships and the special needs of the therapeutic environment.

Key Words:

• Consumer satisfaction
• Outpatient
• Psychiatric treatment