Paediatric hospital services: are we satisfying our adolescent patients?

This study evaluated the satisfaction of adolescents with general inpatient services in a paediatric hospital. The results suggest that the adolescents were generally satisfied with the services provided. However, a number of concerns were expressed about the physical characteristics of the wards, the day to day organization of the wards, and the lack of opportunity to participate in treatment planning. The results also suggest that adolescents' satisfaction with inpatient services will be improved if more attention is given to the physical surroundings in hospital wards and the level of privacy afforded to adolescent inpatients. Finally, the results draw attention to the importance adolescents place on being involved in decisions about their treatment planning. There is a great need for studies which focus on adolescents' perceptions of health services. This will help to ensure that adolescents receive services they perceive to be relevant and effective.