Service user perceptions of the ComQuol approach:focus group analysis

It has been reported that forensic mental health services have largely ignored examining patients' views on the nature of the services offered to them (MacInnes et al, 2012). The ComQuol study was designed as a 36 month pilot trial to assess the effect of a structured communication approach (SCA) on the quality of life of service users in secure settings. A key study aim was to place the patient's perspective on their care at the heart of the discussions between patients and clinicians using the SCA detailed in an earlier presentation. This presentation reports on the findings from the focus groups conducted in the three intervention sites following the completion of the intervention exploring the participants’ attitudes, feelings, beliefs and experiences in relation to SCA.

The project had service user involvement in all aspects of the trial, from trial design, through to co-running the focus groups and analysis of the data to dissemination of the findings. The research approach adopted in this study embraced the concept of ‘patient involvement’ in two different ways: the involvement of patient is seen as an important factor influencing patient’s quality of life, and as an important aspect of all research procedures. This process and some of the challenges involved in developing a collaborative approach to service user involvement in forensic mental health research will be discussed.