Patient satisfaction with mental health services: a meta-analysis to establish norms

Patients typically express high rates of satisfaction with their mental health care. This finding and the lack of well controlled studies on patient satisfaction in the literature underscore the need for meaningful guidelines for clinicians and program evaluators in interpreting patient satisfaction data. To address this problem a meta-analysis was undertaken to establish norms on patient satisfaction for various types of mental health programs. Programs were categorized according to three dimensions: inpatient vs. outpatient vs. residential care; chronic vs. non-chronic; and conventional vs. innovative. Meta-analysis procedures were modified to accommodate the single-group study designs that dominate the literature. The analysis revealed that chronic patients express less satisfaction with their treatment compared to non-chronic patients. Innovative programs are viewed more positively than conventional ones. No differences were found in rates of patient satisfaction between inpatient and outpatient programs. Acceptably reliable norms and confidence intervals of patient satisfaction were established for conventional inpatient programs serving either chronic or non-chronic patients; conventional outpatient programs for non-chronic patients; and for all programs combined according to chronic vs. non-chronic, inpatient vs. outpatient, and conventional vs. innovative. However, data were insufficient to compute norms for other program types. The norms thus established can be used for comparative purposes by program evaluators. A cumulative, national data base on patient satisfaction is recommended to further refine these norms.     

The validity of indices for rural health manpower needs assessment

Population-to-practitioner ratios have long been the primary index in the designation of health manpower shortage areas. This paper documents that application of the widely used population-to-dentist index results in understatement of the need for dental health manpower in rural areas. Through the analysis of utilization data collected from a statewide health screening program in Colorado, the practice of sole reliance on the population-to-dentist indices as an indicator of need was tested. Another measure, the area-(square miles) to-dentist ratio was formulated, examined, and found to be a more useful referent of the need for additional health manpower in rural areas. Utilization of dental services in sparsely settled rural counties of Colorado was unrelated to population-to-dentist ratios. A strong, statistically significant association of utilization with land area-to-dentist ratios was found. The findings of this analysis suggest a need for reevaluation of needs assessment methodologies used in the designation of health manpower shortage areas. Indices more sensitive to consumer circumstance than to the number of health care providers available must be considered.     

Deterrence in the workplace: perceived certainty, perceived severity, and employee theft

The phenomenon of employee theft is examined empirically, utilizing a deterrence paradigm. Employees selected randomly from three different industry sectors and metropolitan areas were asked to self-report their involvement in a number of property theft activities within the employment setting. Using a weighted least-squares logit regression analysis, the study found that the perception of both the certainty and severity of organizational sanctions were related to employee theft. Males reported more theft than did females, but contrary to previous research, no gender/certainty or gender/severity interactions were observed. The best-fit model did, however, contain two significant first-order interactions: age/certainty and age/severity. These interactions strongly suggest that younger employees are not as deterrable as their older peers, especially under conditions of both high certainty and high severity of punishment. While a number of possible explanations might account for differential deterrability according to age, a commitment to or stakes in conformity explanation is proposed.     

A time series analysis of Swedish illegitimacy rates, 1911-1974

Using a sociodemographic model of the determinants of illegitimacy rates, a multivariate regression analysis of annual change in age-specific Swedish illegitimacy rates is applied to the 1911-74 period. The proxy measure of change in sexual activity was significant for all age groups. Legitimation rates for out-of-wedlock conceived births were significant for all ages except teenagers, and the final predictor, women's status, was significant for all ages except women 35-44. Explained variance for annual change was highest among ages 20-24 (66%), 25-29 (66%), and 30-34 (63%) and lower among teens (34%) and women 35-44 (47%). These results support earlier research that used a sociodemographic model to explain post-World War II change in cross-national illegitimacy rates among 23 developed countries.     

Ethnicity,immigration process and short-term occupational mobility

The relationship between the ethnic characteristics of immigrants to the United States and their occupational mobility in the short term is explored. The data concern the period 1965-1970 and are taken from the 1970 census. The results indicate that race and sociocultural distance have important effects on occupational mobility. The study also shows that if educational status is controlled, the performance of Asian immigrants is more similar to that of blacks or Hispanics than it is to that of whites. (summary in FRE, SPA)     

Real earnings and human migration in the United States

"The present article offers an alternative [to Rabianski's] empirical analysis of the migration impact of living cost differentials and deals with net (as opposed to gross) [U.S.] migration to some 25 (as opposed to just 11) SMSAs over the 1960-70 rather than the 1955-60 time period. The results...indicate that...living cost differentials do significantly affect geographic mobility, i.e., improve the regression results."     

Behavioral evaluation of a state program of deinstitutionalization of the developmentally disabled

The purpose of this study was to evaluate one phase of a statewide program of deinstitutionalizing developmentally disabled individuals. Forty adults who had spent a minimum of six months in community placements were evaluated with respect to changes in behavior associated with movement out of state institutions and into community settings such as group homes and day activity centers. Pre- and post-deinstitutionalization measures were taken with the Behavior Development Survey. Post-deinstitutionalization measures on Cataldo and Risley's Resident Activity Manifest were compared to the same measures obtained on 159 developmentally disabled individuals scheduled for deinstitutionalization. A consistent pattern of positive changes on both instruments favored deinstitutionalization, but changes could not be unequivocally attributed to movement out of the institutions per se.