In our recent live Q&A, retired Paediatrician and Neonatologist Dr Una MacFadyen, shared her current research in which young adults with a chronic condition offer their first experiences as adult hospital patients and how staff might help make this less distressing.
Dr MacFadyen explained the background changes that all teenagers go through when growing into young adults, becoming independent and making their own choices. This highlighted the importance of shared decision making and co-production between the teen, parents and healthcare staff to allow them to feel empowered and advocate for their own care.