%0 Journal Article
%A Ullán, A. M.
%A Hernández Belver, Manuel
%A Fernández, E.
%A Serrano, I.
%A Delgado, J.
%A Herrero, C.
%T Hospital Designs for Patients of Different Ages: Preferences of Hospitalized Adolescents, Nonhospitalized Adolescents, Parents, and Clinical Staff
%D 2012
%@ print: 0013-9165  online: 1552-390X
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44273
%X 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 theadults in charge of their care. Participants were 345 adolescents —88 of them hospitalized— 76 parents, and 46 health professionals. They all assessed three pairs ofphotographs of different hospital settings. Quantitative analyses were performed of the choices, and qualitative analyses of their justifications. The results indicated highagreement among the groups about which atmosphere was preferable for children and for adults, and also—with nuances—about the suitability of the nonchild-likeatmosphere for adolescents. No important differences were found between hospitalized and nonhospitalized adolescents' responses. The qualitative analyses revealedsignificant differences between the adolescents' and the adults' response models in their ratings of the hospital setting design. The adolescents' perspective seemed moresensitive 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.
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