The outcomes of partnerships with mental health service users in interprofessional education: a case study

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a 5‐year evaluation (1998–2003) of a postqualifying programme in community mental health in England which made a sustained attempt to develop partnerships with service users. Users were involved in the commissioning of the programme and its evaluation, as trainers and as course members. The evaluation employed mixed methods to assess: learners’ reactions to user‐trainers and users as course members; changes in knowledge, attitudes and skills; and changes in individual and organisational practice. Data were collected from participant observation of training, 23 individual and 18 group interviews with students and their managers (n = 13), and student ratings of knowledge and skills at the beginning and end of the programme (n = 49). The quality of care provided by students was rated by service users (n = 120) with whom they worked, using a user‐defined questionnaire. The quality of care, and mental health and quality of life outcomes were compared to those for two comparison groups (n = 44) in areas where no training had taken place. In general, the students reported positive learning outcomes associated with the partnership orientation of the programme, and learning directly from and with service users. A higher proportion of programme users reported good user‐centred assessment and care planning, and showed greater improvement in life skills compared to the comparators. This case study provides evidence of the value of partnership working with service users in interprofessional postqualifying education in mental health. The success is attributed to the design of the programme and the responsiveness of the programme board, which included service users. It may provide a useful model for programmes elsewhere and for other user groups. The case study itself provides a possible model for the systematic evaluation of partnerships with users in education and training.

The Effects of Interprofessional Education in Mental Health Practice: Findings from a Systematic Review

“…Six studies reported change in knowledge and skills [1,7,13,14,17,26]; three studies reported behavior changes that enhanced collaboration [17,25,27]. Changes in organizational practice [1,17,27] were reported in three studies, while only two reported outcomes related to patients' benefit [17,27]. A description of outcomes and associated measures assessed in each study and summary of learning outcomes' impact is presented in Tables 1 and 2.…”

“…In their programs, Barnes et al allotted service users a role as co-students as well as a management and teaching role. This had the dual aim of improving students' interprofessional skills and raising their awareness of the importance of working from a service user's perspective [17].…”

The surprisingly weak evidence base for supervision: Findings from a systematic review of research in child welfare practice (2000–2012)

“…For example, Barnes et al (2006) employed a quasi-experimental design in which consumers used a consumer-defined measure to rate the effectiveness of their workers, with and without training. A similar approach could be possible in the evaluation of a supervision programme.…”

The Measurement of Stereotypes in the Evaluation of Interprofessional Education

“…In IPE, the social group in question is the professional group and it is assumed students derive a definition of self from their membership of a particular professional group. When student of different professions interact, they may make comparisons and draw distinctions between the characteristics of their ingroup (autostereotypes) and those of other HSC groups (heterostereotypes) (Tajfel et al, 1971;Carpenter, 1995bCarpenter, , 1995aBarnes et al, 2006). This comparison is called intergroup differentiation; (Tajfel et al, 1971).…”