Eva Murko
NIJZ, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Marcel Kralj
NIJZ, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Neža Karo
NIJZ, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Metka Zaletel
NIJZ, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of paediatric patients with hospital care in Slovenia across various aspects, such as waiting periods, waiting times, admission, the work of healthcare staff, privacy, etc. The study was conducted in 2023/2024 and included paediatric patients who stayed in hospital for at least one night during the study period. Methods: All paediatric patients or their parents/guardians received an invitation to participate on the day of discharge between September 2023 and March 2024, along with either a paper questionnaire or a link to an online questionnaire. A total of 25 paediatric hospital departments/services took part in the study. Results: A total of 1,890 respondents completed the questionnaire (paper or online), including 1,020 parents of children aged 0–8 years, 564 children aged 9–13 years, and 306 adolescents aged 14–18 years. The overall response rate was estimated at 17.5%, which is comparable to similar studies in other countries. The average experience rating was 9.07 (on a scale of 0–10) for parents of children aged 1 month to 8 years, 4.35 (on a scale of 1–5) for children aged 9–13 years, and 8.53 (on a scale of 0–10) for adolescents aged 14–18 years. Conclusion: This is the first national study in which paediatric patients directly reported their experiences of healthcare, while parents/guardians reported on behalf of children aged 1 month to 8 years. Further research is needed, particularly using qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and focus groups, to better understand children’s participation in healthcare and to develop effective approaches for their psychological preparation.

Key words: experiences, paediatric patients, hospital care, quality, PREMs