Parents reported higher satisfaction rates when children recognised hospital staff from photographs placed in prominent locations

Aim: Improved communication with staff during a child's hospitalisation is an important determinant of family satisfaction. We examined whether displaying staff photographs in prominent locations would help children and their parents or guardians to recognise staff and whether this enhanced identification would improve parental satisfaction with their child's hospitalisation. Methods: No photographs were displayed during the first part of the study. During the second part of the study, staff photographs were placed in prominent locations throughout the paediatric ward. Parents filled in a satisfaction questionnaire on discharge, and the children and their parents were asked how many staff members they could name. Results: The children named a significantly larger number of staff members in phase two than phase one, while the parents' score was unchanged. Overall parental satisfaction was significantly higher in phase two. The parent's age, the duration of the child's hospitalisation and taking part in phase two of the study were significant predictors of parental satisfaction. Conclusion: When children were more able to recognise and name hospital staff, this indirectly improved parental satisfaction, even if the number that parents could identify remained unchanged. Displaying staff photographs is a simple way of increasing parental satisfaction during a child's hospitalisation.