Evaluating the Reliability of the Needs in Recovery Assessment (NiRA) with Simulated Patients

The Needs in Recovery Assessment (NiRA) is a tool designed to support recovery-oriented and person-centred approaches in mental health services through facilitating the identification and prioritisation of needs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interrater reliability of the NiRA. <b>Method:</b> Ten mental health clinicians from various professional backgrounds used the NiRA to facilitate assessment interviews with Simulated Patients. Completed and semi-completed NiRA forms, questionnaires, and audio-visual recordings of assessment interviews were collected for analysis. The interrater reliability of the NiRA was calculated using percent agreement and Gwet’s Agreement Coefficient (AC)¹. <b>Results:</b> Percent agreement across all items of the finalised tool was 0.84 (item range: 0.55 to 1.0). Overall interrater reliability (Gwet’s AC¹) was 0.70 (95% CI 0.64-0.76) with items ranging from −0.08 to 1.0. <b>Conclusion:</b> The NiRA is a reliable tool and is ready to be trialled in a feasibility study in clinical settings. It is anticipated that the NiRA will facilitate a deeper understanding of service users’ needs and a more targeted approach to meeting unmet needs.