Satisfaction with health care. A predictor of adolescents' appointment keeping.

Adolescents are assuming greater responsibility for their own health care, yet have a high rate of broken appointments. The importance of satisfaction with their health care in determining appointment compliance has been demonstrated for adult patients. The purpose of the present study was to explore patient satisfaction among teenagers and its relationship to appointment keeping. A short, reliable instrument was developed to assess adolescent patients' satisfaction with their clinic care. The patient's satisfaction was highly correlated with subsequent compliance in coming for appointments. Satisfaction, hence, appointment keeping, was higher in females, older adolescents, those making their own initial clinic appointment, those with a positive body image, and those scoring high on a test of personal freedom.