Hospital Designs for Patients of Different Ages: Preferences of Hospitalized Adolescents, Nonhospitalized Adolescents, Parents, and Clinical Staff

Abstract

The design of hospitals should consider the needs and preferences of the patients, but the preferences of adolescents have received little attention. This investigation analyzed adolescents' preferences for diverse hospital designs and compared them to those of the adults in charge of their care. Participants were 345 adolescents —88 of them hospitalized— 76 parents, and 46 health professionals. They all assessed three pairs of photographs of different hospital settings. Quantitative analyses were performed of the choices, and qualitative analyses of their justifications. The results indicated high agreement among the groups about which atmosphere was preferable for children and for adults, and also—with nuances—about the suitability of the nonchild-like atmosphere for adolescents. No important differences were found between hospitalized and nonhospitalized adolescents' responses. The qualitative analyses revealed significant differences between the adolescents' and the adults' response models in their ratings of the hospital setting design. The adolescents' perspective seemed more sensitive than that of the adults towards symbolic aspects and the needs, experiences, and emotions of hospital users. Our work reveals the need to consider adolescents' perspective of hospital design, which cannot be substituted by that of their parents or of the clinical staff.