Explaining and Consent

This session explores some of the problems that young people experience when health professionals attempt to provide them with information, and suggests some ways of improving communication and explanation.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of effective explanations
• Identify barriers to explaining information to young people
• Describe principles of good practice when explaining a new diagnosis to a young person
• Describe principles of good practice when giving information to a young person in order to get their consent before performing a procedure

Ensuring that a young person has a clear understanding of their problem and its management is an essential prerequisite for a number of subsequent stages including:

• Gaining informed consent
• Motivating change
• Concordance and adherence with treatment
• Patient satisfaction

Adequate information can also help to relieve anxiety and stress, especially prior to procedures.

In some ways the skills required to convey information to a young person are no different from those for adults, in that it is important both to establish their prior understanding and to communicate in language which they will understand.