The inpatient experience of emerging adults in the United States.

In a national sample of PEX surveys, hospitalized emerging adults aged 18-25 reported worse PEX when compared to both older children and established adults. These lower ratings were most strongly attributed to people, processes, and relationships as opposed to differences in the hospital environment. By ages 26-29, PEX returned to levels similar to those reported by ages 14-17. These results suggest that further investigation to elucidate the unique needs of hospitalized emerging adults may be warranted.