Abstract
Aims and MethodTo identify and evaluate the reliability and quality of educational materials provided to individuals with schizophrenia and their carers. Materials used by mental health professionals working in community and in-patient settings were collated. Two independent raters used the ‘Discern’ questionnaire to assess the publications.ResultsFifteen documents were identified, but only 11 were suitable for evaluation. Interrater reliability of ratings using the Discern tool was highly significant. No educational package scored maximum marks, but four scored in the good quality range. About a fifth of the materials in widespread use were assessed as of poor quality.Clinical ImplicationsThe use of a rating instrument to assess the quality of educational publications appears to be a reliable and acceptable way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of widely available materials. Staff can use these data to assess the quality of their preferred materials against other publications and make an informed selection.
Highlights
This study evaluates the quality and usefulness of educational materials about schizophrenia that were regularly used by mental health professionals working at a large primary care trust in Scotland
Each piece of educational material was initially assessed to determine if it included comments on treatment choices and whether it was widely available to staff in other trusts
Fifteen publications were identified as being in regular use in the trust for patients with schizophrenia, their families and carers
Summary
To identify and evaluate the reliability and quality of educational materials provided to individuals with schizophrenia and their carers. Two independent raters used theDiscern' questionnaire to assess the publications
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