Personal assistance for people with physical disabilities: consumer-direction and satisfaction with services

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 79; no. 6; p. 674
• Main Authors: Beatty, P W, Richmond, G W, Tepper, S, DeJong, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-06-1998
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Disabled Persons - psychology; Female; Health Services Research; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patient Participation; Patient Satisfaction; Personal Health Services - economics; Personal Health Services - standards; Program Evaluation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Virginia; Virginia
• DOI: 10.1016/S0003-9993(98)90043-0
• ISSN: 0003-9993

To determine whether people who receive consumer-directed personal assistance services (PAS) are more satisfied with the services they receive than those receiving PAS that are not consumer-directed.
A quasi-experimental survey comparison of long-term outcomes among people receiving consumer-directed PAS in Virginia and persons on the waiting list to receive those services. Surveys were conducted by mail and telephone.
The general community in Virginia.
Ninety-two Virginia residents with physical disabilities living in the community. Sixty individuals were receiving consumer-directed PAS, and 32 were on the waiting list for consumer-directed PAS and were receiving paid personal assistance that was not consumer-directed.
The Personal Assistance Satisfaction Index (PASI); chi2 and t tests were conducted.
People receiving consumer-directed PAS scored significantly higher on the PASI than the waiting-list control group and were consistently more likely to report high levels of satisfaction on the majority of individual PASI items.
Consumer-directed PAS are associated with high levels of satisfaction relative to PAS that are not consumer-directed. Individual PASI items related to control over PAS and flexibility of services showed the greatest differences in satisfaction.