PARENT SATISFACTION WITH SERVICES IN AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT A PEDIATRIC TEACHING HOSPITAL

Objective: To evaluate parents' satisfaction with the services provide d in an emergency department located at a paediatric hospital. Methodo logy: A descriptive study in which the parents of children with non-li fe-threatening illnesses attending an emergency department completed a questionnaire describing their satisfaction with services in the depa rtment. Results: The majority of parents were satisfied with the servi ces provided. However, less satisfied parents reported having to wait significantly longer before receiving medical attention than satisfied parents. Consistent with this finding, 77% of less satisfied parents reported that staff did not attend to their children's needs quickly e nough and 62% felt that there were insufficient staff available to pro vide help. Twenty-nine per cent of the less satisfied parents reported that they did not know what was required for the ongoing care of thei r children after their discharge from the emergency department. Conclu sions: In order to address the concerns of less satisfied parents, eme rgency departments need to give careful attention to the maintenance o f reasonable waiting times, the provision of adequate staffing, and th e quality of staff-parent communication. Addressing these issues may i mprove the ongoing care of children after their discharge from emergen cy departments.