Satisfaction with the Psychological Assessment Experience
Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
John McNeill
Second Advisor
Laura Meyer
Third Advisor
Lynett Henderson-Metzger
Fourth Advisor
Kimberly Pfaff
Keywords
Satisfaction, Psychological assessment, Clinicians, Consumers
Abstract
Few studies have formally investigated the satisfaction, experience, perceived clinical utility, or outcomes associated with psychological assessment for either the consumer* or the referring clinician. Additionally, no studies have examined the clinician's ability to predict how their consumers would respond to various satisfaction and comprehension questions. The current study surveyed 53 referring clinicians and 3 7 consumers who were recruited from the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD). Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used to deten11ine whether there were differences between consumer and clinician satisfaction levels, and whether there were differences between clinicians' predictions of consumers' responses and the consumers' actual responses. Findings reveal significant differences between groups as clinicians tended to report higher levels of satisfaction and understanding of results. Both groups reported an overall positive experience with the assessment service, and satisfaction with the assessment quality, results, and recommendations. Significant disparities were also found between clinicians' predictions of their consumers' satisfaction responses regarding understanding of results, ease of recommendation implementation, and enhanced communication ability with the clinician after assessment. Recommendations for future research and ways in which clinicians and those who administer psychological assessments (assessors) can close the gap of clinician and consumer understanding are discussed. Furthermore, ways in which these results can improve the use of psychological assessment within interdisciplinary practices, improve internal operations and clinical interventions, and enhance the overall quality of consumer care are also discussed.
*Note: Patients are described as "consumers" in this study because that is the term used by the organization from which the participants were recruited.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Extent
57 pages
Recommended Citation
Chiaravalloti, Lauren, "Satisfaction with the Psychological Assessment Experience" (2018). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 305.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/305