Parents’ level of satisfaction with paediatric hospital care

Motivated by changes in terms of a more humane attitude in paediatric hospitals, we tried to assess whether parents are satisfied with the hospital care of their children and factors that, in their opinion, make their children˘ s stay in hospital easy or difficult. An anonymous survey was conducted at the Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital in Osijek. The participants were parents of hospitalized children. The survey comprised eight questions: five questions referred to satisfaction assessment from 1 (the lowest grade) to 5 (the highest grade) with the hospital care in general, with the care given by doctors and nurses, with the work of other hospital employees and the work of the Play room. Other questions were what were children afraid of in hospital, what made their stay in hospital easy and what they liked. The survey was answered by 245 parents. Most of the parents who participated were very satisfied with the hospital care. According to the number of answers, children in hospital are most afraid of medical procedures, the most comforting for the child was the presence of a parent in hospital, and the children liked playing and the company of other children best. Respecting the psychological needs of both the hospitalized children and their parents can determine their level of satisfaction and the quality of hospital care. Further psychological assistance is necessary for impending medical procedures, relieving pain, as well as to persist in the liberalisation of parental visitation and in organizing activities for hospitalized children similar to those in everyday life. Surveys of patients (parents) in hospital has a methodological disadvantage in that assessments of hospital care carried out by the health facility can give only partial answers.