CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF A CONTINUITY OF CARE MEASURE

这个为期两年的项目将研究在精神卫生服务的照顾在美国少数民族的连续性措施的文化相关性，这一措施是第一个，详细的，标准化的工具，旨在评估严重精神疾病的人的照顾的连续性。 它旨在用于护理质量研究和其他卫生服务研究。 该措施是一个为期三年的系统研究计划的产物，从人种学研究开始，以经验得出相关的连续性指标，并通过仪器建设，初步测试，现场测试和心理测量评估的综合过程进行。 因此，拟议的项目针对的是双重脆弱的人口：属于少数民族群体的严重精神病患者。文化相关性是指连续性指标对少数民族的适用性和重要性。 拟议的研究设计结合了定性和定量的方法，在三管齐下的方法来调查文化的相关性。 在第一部分，我们将使用开放式访谈和焦点小组讨论作为基础，以确定与少数民族相关的新领域和项目，但不是现有措施的一部分。 在第2部分中，我们将对新的和现有的领域和项目对少数族裔和白色受访者的重要性进行排名，并使用简单的统计技术比较各组的排名。 第3部分要求检查先前收集的实地测试数据，以了解该措施现有的护理连续性指标的族裔差异。

This two-year project will examine the cultural relevance of a measure of continuity of care in mental health services for ethnic minorities in the U.S. This measure is the first, detailed, standardized instrument designed to assess continuity of care for persons with serious mental illness. It is intended for use in studies of quality of care and other health services research. The measure is the product of a three-year program of systematic research, beginning with an ethnographic study to empirically derive relevant indicators of continuity, and proceeding through comprehensive processes of instrument construction, preliminary testing, field testing, and psychometric evaluation. Thus the proposed project targets a population that is doubly vulnerable: seriously mentally ill persons who belong to ethnic minority groups. Cultural relevance refers to the applicability and the importance of continuity indicators for ethnic minorities. The design of the proposed study combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a three-pronged approach to investigating cultural relevance. In Part 1, we will use open-ended interviewing and focus group discussions as the basis for identifying new domains and items that are relevant for ethnic minorities, but not part of the measure in its present form. In Part 2, we will rank the importance of new and existing domains and items for minority and white respondents, and compare the rankings across groups using simple statistical techniques. Part 3 calls for examining previously collected field test data for ethnic group differences on the measure's existing indicators of continuity of care.