CONSAT

The case manager then proceeded to ask the questions that make up the revised version of the ConSat, and recorded the answers that the client gave.

After the completed questionnaires had been processed to remove any personal details that could identify the individual clients, the responses were then analyzed by three members of the working group that had developed the revised version of the ConSat. That work led to the improvement of a few of the items in the revised version.

In all the steps described above, the original Swedish version of the ConSat was used and all successive alterations, resulting in the ConSat-R, were also made in Swedish.

When the revision of the ConSat was completed, the Executive Committee of the Quality Star decided to continue the work of improving the quality of the Consumer Satisfaction Rating Scale through the use of both the ConSat and the ConSat-R, as part of their ordinary activity, with the ongoing collections of information of client satisfaction that was carried out with their treatment.

The data collection took place on two occasions with an interval of 1 to 3 weeks (M = 14.76 days, SD = 9.43) and to avoid results being influenced by order of presentation, the questionnaire forms were distributed randomly, so that on the first occasion approximately half of the participants rated their degree of satisfaction using the ConSat, whereas the other half of the participants completed the ConSat-R.

A paired samples t test (5% level) was conducted to establish whether or not there were any significant differences between the ConSat and the ConSat-R.

Statistical analyses (Mann-Whitney U test, p < .05) with gender as the independent variable and the four measures from Quality Star (ConSat, GQL, GAF Function, GAF Symptom) from each period (1-3) showed that the women were significantly more satisfied with the care provided (ConSat) during all three periods, than the men (U = 8.46, p = .007; U = 8.70, p = .009; U = 4.11, p = .013).

Statistical analyses (Mann-Whitney U test, p < .05) with method (integrated care program, other methods) as the independent variable and with the four measures from Quality Star (ConSat, GQL, GAF Function, GAF Symptom) from each period (1-3) showed that patients at the clinic in Lysekil--who were treated according to the Integrated Care Program method--were assessed as having a better function for all three periods when measured with GAF Function (U = 2.42, p < .001; U = 2.53,p < .001; U = 1.22,p = .004) as well as a better symptom picture when measured with GAF Symptom for all three periods (U = 2.46, p < .001; U = 2.82, p < .001; U = 1.74, p = .044) than the other eight clinics.

Even if both men's and women's ConSat scores showed increasing tendencies, the women were significantly more satisfied with the care provided during the entire 6-year period.

More educated, interested, and patient-focused members of staff are likely to lead to improved communication with the patients which, in turn, leads to increased consumer satisfaction (ConSat) with treatment as well as care.

This was also shown in this study where the GQL correlated as calculated with mean values for the whole six year period (Spearman's rho, ps < .01) with ConSat (.39), GAF Function (.27), and GAF Symptom (.32).

Quality Star measures = ConSat (consumer satisfaction), GQL (quality of life), GAF Function (psychosocial functioning), GAF Symptom (symptom severity).