Children and youth’s participation in decision making within health care organisations

Auckland University of Technology Child and Youth Health Research Cluster members Dr Mandie Foster, Dr Julie Blamires, Dr Chris Moir, Dr Virginia Jones, Dr Tanya Connell, Dr Irene Zeng, Dr Jagamaya Shrestha-Ranjit and Dr Smita Keshoor are undertaking an anonymous online survey exploring how children and young people participate in shared decision making within healthcare organisations from managers and leaders within District Health Board providers of children’s tertiary health services in New Zealand.

The study is funded by the Auckland University of Technology, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences Summer Research Award 2021/2022.

Findings

A summary of the findings can be viewed here on completion of the study.

Outcomes

The outcome of this project will inform the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission, and the Children’s Convention Monitoring Group the present child health participation initiatives within New Zealand acts, policies, laws, and practices to direct future initiatives, law, practice, research and knowledge that honours the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Children’s Commissioner Act (2003) and Convention and Human Rights Act (1993).

Led by Dr Mandie Foster

Mandie is a senior lecturer and emerging research scholar in children and young people’s nursing, with a passion to make a difference to the holistic health and wellbeing of children and families globally. She developed the first psychometrically tested Needs of Children Questionnaire to successfully measure the importance and fulfilment of school aged children’s (5-16 years) psychosocial physical and emotional needs in hospital. Mandie believes that children and young people’s involvement and participation in matters that concern them, not only informs service delivery and care but further improves treatment adherence, clinical effectiveness, disease prevention, confidence, satisfaction, motivation and provides children and young people an opportunity to take responsibility for their own health and development.

Related material

• Foster, M., Whitehead, L., & Arabiat, D. (2019). Development and validation of the needs of children questionnaire: An instrument to measure children’s self-reported needs in hospital. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75, 2246– 2258, doi.org/10.1111/jan.14099.
• Foster M, Blamires J, Moir C, et al. Children and young people’s participation in decision-making within healthcare organisations in New Zealand: An integrative review. Journal of Child Health Care. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/13674935231153430
• Foster, M., Whitehead, L & Morelius, E. (2022). The Needs of Children Questionnaire [Video]. You Tube