Transcript Teenagers Communicating with Health Care Workers

Talking to Healthcare
Professionals-
Empowering you and your teenager
Dr. Yvonne Duane
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Psychology Department OLCHC
Overview
Communication
Ask Questions Get Educated
What affects communication
Adolescence-Transition
Self-care
Discussion
Communication
 As a parent of a child with haemophilia you may find yourself
communicating constantly with a range of health professionals.
 Getting the information you need, ensuring you have the right
advice and understanding complex medical terms can be a
struggle.
 The health care system can be complex and difficult to understand.
 At times you may feel that you're repeating the same information
over and over. Caregivers often have many questions they would
like to ask but refrain from asking them..
 Learning the various roles of health professionals can be beneficial
to ensure you have the information you need to best care for your
child.
Communication continued….
 Advocating for your child
 Encouraging self-advocacy
 Communication difficulties between health care providers and patients
happen every day. As a parent, playing an active role in maintaining your
child’s health is essential. This means communicating effectively with
doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals. Good
communication boils down to three facts:
1. Asking the right questions will yield the information you and your child
need in order to make decisions.
2. Providing health professionals with the information they need is
necessary for them to make informed judgments.
3. Demanding quality care for your loved one is a must.
Ask Questions and Get Educated
Whether you're communicating on your child's behalf or helping him
communicate better on his own, here are some ways to ensure that he receives
the best possible care:
Be prepared -this will enable you and your son to get the most out of an
appointment with a health professional.
Ask yourself, what do I need to know to best care for my son?
Here are some suggestions when asking questions:
 Ask the most important questions first
 State clearly what you need to know and why
 Before each appointment, write down any questions you have. Then make sure
that the doctor addresses your concerns.
 Write questions down before your appointment or as problems occur.
 Ask the right questions to the right people
 Repeat back to health professionals any explanations in your own words to
ensure you understand clearly.
Ask Questions and Get Educated (continued)
 If you think it's an emergency use the word 'emergency' in your
sentence to get someone's attention.
 Take a note pad to write down any instructions.
 Keep your teenager involved in the conversations about his care as
much as possible. An older child/teenager may feel invisible at a
medical visit if his doctor speaks exclusively to his parent.
 It’s important for parents, children and teenagers to feel
comfortable with members of their healthcare team. It’s OK to ask
health professionals questions and to ask for more information.
 Some people find it overwhelming to receive lots of information,
while others want as much information as they can find. It may take
a while to feel confident to ask questions of the team
 Ask as many questions as you need to, and don’t worry about
asking the same question more than once.
 Ask the doctor to clarify anything you don't understand.
What affects Communication?
Settings – Situations - Stress
 Planned appointment vs. inpatient stay….
routine procedure vs. emergency…..
 Advocating for your child or Encouraging self-advocacy
 Past experience positive or negative
 Self-confidence
 Attitude of healthcare professional
 Poor communication leads to stress
 When you are stressed you do not take information in
effectively….you may need information repeated several times…..
Communication and Stress = miscommunication
Everyone reacts differently to stress..
 Stress affects how you communicate……
 Human nature when anger comes in listening goes
out………
 How to stay calm and focused????
 How you respond as an individual to stress is the key to
helping you tackle stress.
Adolescence - Transition
 Adolescence is a time of poor communication generally
 Think back to when you were a teenager…..
“The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and
conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their
parents and copying one another” Quentin Crisp
 Transition = movement from a dependent child to an independent young
adult in all aspects of life. Developing maturity in cognitive, social and
emotional skills as well as physical development.
Transition Stage
Generally 12 -18 years – but preparation from 8 +
3 parts – thinking – planning and making the transition
Within the transition stage there are additional challenges on top of
normal adolescent challenges to be negotiated.
With haemophilia, the negotiation can be more complex.
The normal tendency to separate from family and explore and take
risks needs more careful, consideration and attention in this group.
Transitional care in the management of haemophilia is less about the
movement of patient care from a paediatric team to an adult team
and more about the transition of the young person from a state of
total dependence on their parents and carers to one of total
independence.
Adolescence – Transition
 What can you do to empower and encourage independence
 Each young person is different – some more independent than
others….
 What helps=open communication
 Plant the seed of self-management as early as possible
 Encourage your son to participate and speak to healthcare
professionals
 Always ask if he has any questions before the appointment
TRANSITION: Top tips for Teens on communicating
with their healthcare team (from Steppingup.ie)
 Sometimes health care professionals might use terms that you are not
familiar with. If there is anything you do not understand don’t be afraid to
ask your doctor or other professional to explain it to you. It is their job to help
you to understand everything.
 Write down your questions and bring them with you to your clinic visit.
 Use a notebook or your phone to jot down any important information and
phone numbers that you might get from the team.
 If you like, bring someone (parent/guardian, family member or friend) with
you for support and for an extra pair of ears (to remember what was said).
 If you have someone with you but want to ask the medical team
something personal just ask the person to wait outside the room until you
call them.
TRANSITION: Top tips for Teens on communicating
with their healthcare team (from Steppingup.ie)
 Be open and honest and tell your team everything. You are an expert on
your health so the more information you give them the better they can
meet your needs. Remember that your health care team has heard or seen
it all before.
 Find out who you should contact in case you have any unanswered
questions.
 Your team are there to work on your health care with you, so trusting them
and building a good relationship with them will be beneficial to both of
you.
 If you are finding it difficult to talk to your health care team, don’t suffer in
silence, speak with a family member or someone you trust. They can speak
up on your behalf at your next hospital or clinic appointment
How is your Self-care/ Other-care
balance?
Self-care
Optimal self-care,
and other-care
Optimal othercare, deficient
self-care
Other-care
Optimal selfcare, deficient
other-care
Deficient other
and self-care
What can help?
 Live a healthy, balanced life:
 Regular exercise (recommended physical activity 30 minutes 5
days per week)
 Healthy eating habits
 Get enough sleep (most adults need between 6-9 hours per
night)
 Time to recuperate/ restful breaks
 Set limits
 Support from partner, friends, other parents
 Time to self. Time to relax - although seemingly impossible for many,
it would reap benefits even if there are some short-term costs.
How do you manage stress?
And Finally….
 Remind self at least once a day that you are doing a great job as a parent
of a child with haemophilia!
 Balancing act (naturally inclination is to protect your child versus need to
foster independence-which means facilitating child to take some risks)
 Plant the seed of self care from early on to foster independence and selfmanagement skills.
Thank you for listening.
Discussion Questions?