Effectiveness of the Hospital Learning Center (Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health): Satisfaction with service and parents’ attitudes towards children’s illness

Background: All children, whether healthy or ill, should have access to equal educational opportunities. Healthcare institutions and hospitals have been approved to work with schools to establish learning centers to provide education to sick children. This study has been conducted to develop a practical model for learning centers in hospitals across Thailand to create equality and ensure valuable human resources for the future. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hospital learning center for continuing education of child patients and to determine the factors that are most appropriate study plans, the parents’ attitude about their child’s illness, and the children’s satisfaction with the learning center. Methods: The total sample population was 400, consisting of 200 parents and 200 child patients aged 4 to 18 years. The respondents were given a questionnaire to obtain their feedback using a Likert scale. Results: The most common child patients were those with chronic illness followed by those with common illnesses, and lastly children with developmental problems. All 200 children received continuing education; 20 child patients (10%) who had been evaluated received a modified education plan. After analyzing the results of satisfaction with the learning center, the scores ranged from 4.21 to 5.00 (mean = 4.28, SD = 0.62). Conclusions: Sick children can continue their education at the hospital learning center in Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. Study plans can be modified to suit children with chronic illnesses and developmental problems, children in primary and secondary school, and those requiring prolonged hospitalization. Parents in the study had appropriate attitudes about the disease and education of their children. Sick children gave the highest ratings showing extremely high satisfaction with the hospital learning center.