Objective:

To develop an instrument to assess the satisfaction of children and teenagers with their stay in hospital.

Methods:

A qualitative analysis of hospitalisation satisfaction dimensions based on the feedback of hospitalised children and teenagers; a content validation study by a group of experts of the items generated for the different satisfaction dimensions; and a pilot study to assess the usefulness of the questionnaire with a sample of 84 children and teenagers hospitalised in Andalusia.

Results:

After successive refinements, a short questionnaire was obtained which took between 5 and 15 minutes to complete. All items presented positive item-total correlations (r > 0.18). The questionnaire showed an internal consistency index of 0.779 (Cronbach's alpha) and significant rank differences (Mann-Whitney U test; p < 0.001) with medium size effects (η2 > 0.151) in three satisfaction dimensions compared between hospitals.

Discussion:

A short, easy-to-answer questionnaire was developed that is reliable regarding its internal consistency and sensitive to differences in hospital satisfaction dimensions. Once validated, it will be used to assess the satisfaction of children and teenagers with their hospital stay, in addition to being a potential indicator of quality of care.

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