Abstract
Background: One proposed method for improving outcomes in paediatric respiratory conditions is to empower young people, but there is no accepted framework for what this means or how to achieve it in practice.
Aim: To develop a framework relevant to clinical practice, comprising important elements of empowerment of young people with asthma.
Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify key domains related to empowerment of young people with chronic health conditions. These themes were discussed with adolescents participating in a focus group to aid development of a smartphone application to empower children with asthma.
Results: We identified three consistent domains describing key aspects of empowerment: making shared decisions; ability to self-manage; and tailoring your condition around your life. Young people in the focus group felt that these were appropriate and relevant to their experiences of living with asthma.
We are refining and populating this framework in our multidisciplinary asthma clinic, for example by developing an approach to enabling children to make shared decisions about their care (Figure 1).
Conclusions: We identified three key domains relating to empowerment of children. Future research with children should identify useful strategies to achieve these goals in clinical practice.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 414.
This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2020