Reliable assessment of the quality of mental health services for first episode psychosis
What is it about?
The First Episode Psychosis Fidelity Scale is a measure of the quality of services delivered to patients with a first episode of psychosis. In this paper we show that it reliable and can be used to assess services remotely. It only takes about 10 to 15 hours to prepare for the assessment.
Why is it important?
The first episode of psychosis is a time of high risk for bad outcomes ranging from suicide to difficulties maintaining normal social and occupational functioning. Research shows that specialized teams of mental health professionals can achieve the best outcomes and provide cost effective care. This new research shows that the First Episode Psychosis Fidelity Scale can be used to assess the quality of these services in the real world. This is important because we want the real world services to deliver the same outcomes as services provided in research projects.