There was an article in The New York Times today about the unique relationship and communication between pediatricians and pediatric patients. Confidentiality and trust are important in a physician-patient relationship, but what about when the patient is a minor, who asks the doctor not to tell Mom what he or she just said. Of course, it is a different matter when the child's safety is at risk, and there is more consideration given to confidentiality with an older teen. But what about a middle schooler? They are still young, but old enough to want autonomy, and old enough to know when their confidence has been betrayed. It is an interesting set of communication challenges.
You can find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/health/09klas.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
What do you think? How can pediatricians approach these young patients?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment