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RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Hospital visiting hours – do they need to be revised?

Roberto Forero https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6031-6590 A B C , Mohammed Mohsin D E , Florence Singh A C , Leanne Hunt F G , Steven Frost C G , Scott McDonnell H , Milan Piya H I , Dev Verick H I , Friedbert Kohler B G , Josephine Sau Fan Chow B C G J K L , Shane Widloecher H and Ken Hillman A B C *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Simpson Centre for Health Services Research, South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.

B School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.

C Ingham Institute for Applied Medial Research, Liverpool, NSW Australia.

D Mental Health Research and Teaching Unit, Liverpool Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health, NSW 2170, Australia.

E Faculty of Medicine & Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.

F School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia.

G South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), NSW, Australia.

H Camden & Campbelltown Hospitals SWSLHD, NSW, Australia.

I School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia.

J South Western Sydney Nursing & Midwifery Research Alliance, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.

K NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia.

L Faculty of Nursing, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas, Australia.

* Correspondence to: k.hillman@unsw.edu.au

Australian Health Review https://doi.org/10.1071/AH24145
Submitted: 7 June 2024  Accepted: 26 October 2024  Published: 19 November 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to determine the number of visitors to an acute hospital, the time of visit, destination, and details of parking over the same period.

Methods

A prospective observational pilot study in a large metropolitan public hospital in Australia was performed. The research team observed all visitors over a 14-day period between 17 and 30 October 2022 counting the people visiting relatives or friends of admitted hospital patients as well as those visiting outpatient clinics during the observation period. Other outcome measures included time of the visit, destination, and estimated costs of parking.

Results

During the 14 days of observation there were 18,066 visitors, averaging 1290 per day. The majority were visitors to inpatients (62.2%, 11,232, averaging 802 per day). Those attending outpatients were less (37.8%, 6834, averaging 668 per weekday). The estimated average parking cost was A$18.10 per day normally and A$11.85 for concessions.

Conclusions

This was the first known study on hospital-wide visiting in Australia or globally. These findings would be important for addressing issues such as hospital planning, and for future research including the impact of visiting on patient outcomes, the patient and community experience, and the expectations and experience of hospital visitors.

Keywords: consumer, health services, hospital access, inpatient services, observational study, outpatient services, patient support, visiting patients.

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