Accuracy of reported service use in a cohort of people who are chronically homeless and seriously mentally ill

作者：Somers Julian M^*; Moniruzzaman Akm; Currie Lauren; Rezansoff Stefanie N; Russolillo Angela; Parpouchi Milad

来源：BMC Psychiatry, 2016, 16(1): 41.

DOI：10.1186/s12888-016-0758-0

Background: Self-reported service use is an integral feature of interventional research with people who are homeless and mentally ill. The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of self-reported involvement with major categories of publicly funded services (health, justice, social welfare) within this sub-population.
Methods: Measures were administered pre-randomization in two randomized controlled trials, using timeline follow back with calendar aids for Health, Social, and Justice Service Use, compared to linked administrative data. Variables examined were: psychiatric admissions (both extended stays of more than 6 months and two or more stays within 5 years); emergency department visits, general hospitalization and jail in the past 6 months; and income assistance in the past 1 month. Participants (n = 433) met criteria for homelessness and a least one mental illness.
Results: Prevalence adjusted and bias adjusted kappa (PABAK) values ranged between moderate and almost perfect for extended psychiatric hospital separations (PABAK: 0.77; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.71, 0.83), multiple psychiatric hospitalizations (PABAK = 0.50, 95 % CI = 0.41, 0.59), emergency department visits (PABAK: 0.77; 95 % CI = 0.71, 0.83), jail (PABAK: 0.74; 95 % CI = 0.68, 0.81), and income assistance (PABAK: 0.82; 95 % CI = 0.76, 0.87). Significant differences in under versus over reporting were also found.
Conclusions: People who are homeless and mentally ill reliably reported their overall use of health, justice, and income assistance services. Evidence of under-reporting and over-reporting of certain variables has implications for specific research questions.

• 出版日期2016-2-25