Measuring patient satisfaction with mental health services in correctional settings: a systematic scoping review

Introduction

The measurement of patient satisfaction with mental health services is well-established and a key indicator of performance. Patient satisfaction with mental health services received in criminal justice settings however is however less frequently studied. Our aim was to establish how frequently patient satisfaction with mental health services in correctional (prison) settings is being reported, and to identify methods of measurement including all tools that have been used to measure patient satisfaction in these settings.

Methods

A comprehensive search of published articles and thesis dissertations was undertaken using multiple databases. Two reviewers independently screened the references to determine eligibility and then extracted the necessary data using a predefined extraction template. Only studies that measured patient satisfaction with a mental health service or intervention within a correctional facility were included.

Results

46 studies, which included various measures, were identified as being eligible for inclusion. The median number of patients involved in these studies was 37.5 (range: 4-1150). Tools were heterogeneous in length, purpose, and design, and these measured a variety of different domains. Most of the tools used had been developed in non-correctional settings and applied in correctional settings without adaptation. Tools with established psychometric properties were used only in ten instances, whereas the majority of the studies reported using author-developed interviews and questionnaires to obtain feedback.

Conclusion

Patient satisfaction measurement tools in correctional services are heterogeneous and largely unvalidated; there is no uniformity in the measurement methods used.

Systematic Review Registration

https://osf.io/md8vp, identifier md8vp.

Students as co-designers in health professional education: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Over the last thirteen years, there has been a notable increase in both research and practice related to student-staff partnerships in higher education. However, within health professional education (HPE), studies on these partnerships remain limited and often rely on broader higher education frameworks. Existing research primarily focuses on role dynamics and relational aspects rather than on structured co-design processes, where students actively contribute to shaping educational content, assessments, or curricula. Building upon previous work, this study specifically examines co-design as a distinct dimension of student-staff partnerships in HPE, an area that has not been thoroughly addressed in recent literature reviews.

METHODS

In accordance with the PRISMA-ScR 2018 statement, we performed searches in online databases-Cochrane, Ovid, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus-for original articles published in English from 2010 to 2023. These articles needed to describe empirical studies focused on co-designed training programs in health professions. We then conducted a qualitative and descriptive analysis of the selected articles to examine how the principle of students as co-designers is portrayed and investigated in health professional education.

RESULTS

The search (title, abstract, keywords) identified 703 potentially relevant abstracts addressing co-design in healthcare education. Screening of these abstracts narrowed it down to 84 articles. Further evaluation of these full articles resulted in a final sample of 20 articles that met the inclusion criteria. We analyzed the content of these 20 articles using the following categories: basic characteristics (year of publication, country, professional domain, educational grade, topic of the training), co-design characteristics (context and initiative, framework and definition, purposes, stakeholders, process), and study characteristics (aim, research framework, population, data collection and analysis, key findings). Our analysis revealed that co-design in HPE lacks standardized frameworks and rigorous empirical evaluation. Many studies emphasize student contributions but do not provide detailed methodological guidance on how co-design is structured, implemented, or assessed. Additionally, findings indicate that most studies focus on undergraduate education, with postgraduate applications remaining underexplored.

CONCLUSIONS

This review underscores co-design as an emerging yet underdeveloped approach in health professional education. While its potential benefits-such as enhancing student engagement, fostering innovation, and improving training relevance-are widely acknowledged, the field lacks structured methodologies and theoretical grounding. Future research should focus on developing clear frameworks, assessing co-design's long-term impact on learning outcomes, and differentiating it from broader collaborative approaches. Strengthening methodological rigor and empirical validation will be essential for positioning co-design as a sustainable and evidence-based practice in health professions education.

Knowledge and Perspectives of Developmental Language Disorders: The Pilot Development of a Survey of Professionals Working in Law Enforcement

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to pilot test a survey of professionals within the justice system about their knowledge and perceptions of developmental language disorders (DLDs) and to gather initial data supporting their knowledge and perceptions.

METHOD

One hundred thirty-six adults in Texas with law enforcement jobs, primarily police officers, participated in this study. Participants completed a survey consisting of 78 questions about their background, experiences with DLD, and beliefs about communication. Additionally, 42 adults who did not work in law enforcement completed the survey twice to establish the initial measures of survey reliability.

RESULTS

This survey demonstrated sufficient test-retest reliability with adults not in law enforcement, and results indicated the emergence of two subscales within the survey. Law enforcement professionals appeared to have limited knowledge of DLD, and many linked language-related behaviors with credibility. A majority did agree with giving accommodations to individuals who struggle with language and reported interest in receiving training to recognize and accommodate DLD.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study demonstrates a need for collaboration between speech-language pathologists and law enforcement professionals and provides data for a survey that could be used across professional groups in the justice system to measure knowledge and perspectives of DLDs. This work represents an initial step in an iterative process of survey development for law enforcement professionals.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25033718.

Story hour at a family homeless center: contribution to graduate students' preparation and confidence in preliteracy skills

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the potential benefit to graduate students' of participating in a service-learning program conducting a storybook reading program for children in a family homeless shelter.

METHOD

Ten graduate students in the second year of a two-year master's degree program in communication science and disorders participated in the storybook reading program. The graduate students engaged in reflective writing about their experiences and completed self-ratings of confidence in preliteracy skills before and after program participation. Twenty graduate students in two comparison groups (10 students in a pre-program comparison group, and 10 in a post-program comparison group) also completed questionnaires. The mixed-methods study used quantitative analyses to analyze questionnaire ratings and qualitative methods to analyze reflective writings.

RESULTS

Together, the quantitative and qualitative results indicated positive outcomes from the service-learning experience with regard to graduate students' perceived confidence in preliteracy skills and preparation for careers as speech-language pathologists. The results provide empirical data showing that service-learning experiences with at-risk populations can contribute to graduate students' clinical education and preparation as speech-language pathologists.

CONCLUSION

The results support the value of service-learning experiences in communication sciences and disorders. Clinical preparation in preliteracy development also supports the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association statement on the roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in relation to reading and writing in children.