[PGI-I (patient's global impression) as an outcome and quality indicator of psychiatric in-patient treatment: results and concordance with doctor's assessments].

Objective: To examine the Patient Global Impression Scale of Improvement (PGI) as a quality indicator in routine psychiatric in-patient treatment and to determine its concordance with doctors' assessments.

Methods: Patients treated in 2007 in 5 hospitals and 4 day-clinics were included. A set of patient and treatment characteristics (German BADO) and CGI scales were recorded in all patients. Patients were required to give a PGI rating at discharge.

Results: PGI ratings could be obtained in 70.3 of the patients (N = 3957). PGI and doctors' CGI-I ratings were in agreement with no more than one degree of difference on the 7-point scale of the PGI in 89.8 %. Characteristics of those patients who significantly deviated from the doctors' assessments were determined.

Conclusions: The PGI scale is appropriate as a quality indicator for routine clinical treatment which can rather easily be obtained.