Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2003; 8: 519
The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure has been developed as a consultation quality indicator for use in conventional care and CAM settings. The aim of the present study was to test the predictive validity of this new measure at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital (GHH).
A total of 187 new outpatients attending the GHH completed the CARE Measure, the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI), and baseline health outcome measures [SF-12, MYMOPandthe GHHOS (Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital Outcome Measure)] immediately after the consultation. Patients were followed up at 3 months by postal questionnaire, with a 62% response rate.
The CARE measure was predictive of patient enablement at the initial consultation (r = 0.372, P < 0.01, n = 152). After controlling for the number of follow-up appointments, it was also predictive of overall enablement at 3 months (r = 0.237, P < 0.05, n = 80) and the mean change in main complaint and well-being as measured by the GHHOS (r = 0.239, P < 0.05, n = 81). The MYMOPS and the SF-12 change scores, however, did not demonstrate this apparent relationship between quality of consultation and outcome at 3 months.
The CARE Measure predicts patient enablement at consultation and at 3 months in new patients attending the GHH. It is also predictive of changes in main complaint and well-being, as assessed by the GHHOS. These findings support its use as a quality of consultation indicator.
