Obtaining adolescents' views about inpatient facilities using conjoint analysis

To determine if conjoint analysis is a suitable tool to use with the adolescent population to determine what factors adolescents consider important in inpatient hospital facilities.

Conjoint analysis requires the sorting of options, in this instance cards describing service attributes, into most preferred to least preferred scenarios and the resulting information analysed. A purposive group of 29 young people was recruited to ascertain what factors they considered important in inpatient hospital facilities. They were also asked their views on the ease of using conjoint analysis and about their experience with hospitals. Analysis was undertaken using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) conjoint programme.

These young people could use the conjoint analysis approach. Their main preference for inpatient facilities was to have dedicated adolescent space. An important part of the decision regarding the choice of type of facility was the ability to use their cell phone.

Adolescents have firm views and should always be consulted. In today's health environment many management decisions have to be made within economic constrains. If characteristics of services which are important can be ascertained and if economic considerations are added, the results can show how an optimal service can be provided within a definable resource.