Health promotion in the acute hospital setting: the receptivity of adult in-patients.

There is a growing international awareness and development of health promotion in hospitals. For patients, this involves encouraging them to take an active participatory role according to their specific health potentials. The aim of this study was to investigate their receptivity to health promotion in an acute hospital setting. Data are drawn from a questionnaire survey of 320 adult in-patients (100% response rate), excluding terminally ill patients for ethical reasons. In general, respondents supported the development of health promotion in the hospital setting. Concerns were expressed over the knowledge base and the ability of professionals to deliver health education interventions that met their specific needs. Non-smokers were more supportive than those who smoked. For effectiveness, the hospital needs to be considered as a 'whole system' where policies and practices are mutually supportive and integrated into the culture of the organisation. The survey identified that this is not always in evidence.