Hospital Room or Treatment Room for Pediatric Inpatient Procedures: Which Location Do Parents and Children Prefer?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The acute pain management guidelines put forth by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research recommend that inpatient pediatric procedures be performed in a treatment room rather than in a child's hospital room. However, hospitals vary widely in their use of treatment rooms for pediatric procedures. Because there has been little empirical investigation of this clinical issue, the present study explores the preferences of parents and children regarding the performance site of inpatient procedures.