The problem seems to be that children do not have a say in the decisions that are made in regards to their healthcare. By this I mean, children under the age of 16 cannot make their own decisions, or final decision for that matter, about their health without their parents having the final say in whether or not they agree with such decisions.
For example: If a child up, until the age of 16, has been suffering with symptoms that show they may have a psychiatric problem that needs immediate attention, the doctors and the child’s parents can agree that the child might have to stay in a psychiatric unit, even if the child does not want to. The child is not able to dismiss themselves either; they have to stay against their own will based on the parent’s word alone. Some people may believe that this is alright because it is, of course, about the children. However, when you get to an age where you can communicate well and understand more, children should be able to have more of say in their healthcare needs, compared to a child that is one years old, and may not understand anything (because who’s capable of understanding anything besides being hungry and sleepy when you’re that young).
There are a few ways that we can improve this issue, though, for example:
Law: There has never been a policy that has been created for young people that states they have the right to be involved in the decisions about their health or services that they receive. Yes, there is a child’s rights policy however it does not state anything about the necessary issues we speak on now. It’s understandable that a parent tries to do their best for their child, however the child Is the one living this life and may have suggestions on what they want and need. Many people do not realize how intelligent children are from such a young age and how much they understand, they are many times underestimated. The child may also be able to tell you what has or can trigger their problems, something that the parent may not have noticed or considered.
Counselling: Sometimes children find it difficult to communicate with their parents, feeling that they cannot be 100% honest with them, or maybe feeling that they will cause their parents stress by mentioning certain things. Therefore, they would rather keep it to themselves. There could also be many personal reasons as to why children do not feel comfortable enough to speak to their parent; some reasons may be a very touchy and sensitive topic. Therefore, if children were able to talk to a counsellor who will be someone that is a complete stranger, has an open mind, and will not judge them no matter what they say.
Children not playing an active role in the decisions made for their healthcare has been an ongoing problem and is something completely recognized by the NHS. As stated by the national director, “NHS England launched a bidding process in December to access funding for the development of new outcome measures which are based on the views of patients. A total of 48 bids were received which were reviewed by a panel consisting of NHS staff and external representatives from the National Parent Carer Forum and the Council for Disabled Children.”
There are many positive benefits that can come about the process of having young people involved in the final decision of their healthcare treatments. However, there can also be possible challenges to this, which include: Age and comprehension issues, where children may not fully understand why their parents feel as though they need certain treatments, for example, when a parent may decide to have their children stay in a treatment center for something serious, or even terminal.
In a child’s mind, this could become distressing, regardless of what’s best for them; they may not enjoy the idea of having to spend prolonged periods of time away from their family members, regardless of what’s best for them. Or perhaps the child might feel as if their parents have given up on them, that they simply cannot handle the problems that are being presented by his or her health.
Nevertheless, these things are quite hard to explain to children, especially those who are of younger age brackets, and it may be hard to explain certain situations in a way that will allow the child to still feel as though they’re loved, that they aren’t being abandoned and that decisions are absolutely not being made out of spite against the child. Because, frankly, that would be abuse if that were, in fact, the case.
Another possible challenge that comes with including children in their personal health decisions may also revolve around stubborn family members, not just parents. (see Treatment decisions regarding infants, children and adolescents, US National Library of Medicine)
How so? Well, let’s take a look at the state of the American healthcare system and how many parents might prescribe to ideals that could label them as “anti-vaxxers.” (see Leaving the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Voices for Vaccines) Someone who upholds this line of thought is a parent, or parents, who believe that vaccines are or can be harmful to their children. They might believe that vaccines somehow cause autism, and that autism in general is something that regular people can’t and don’t already deal and live with on a day-to-day basis (see New Meta-analysis Confirms: No Association between Vaccines and Autism, Autism Speaks).
With the issue of the all of the problems that come with a system that isn’t single payer aside, let’s focus on how children having decisions in their own healthcare could stop something, such as a measles outbreak, which caused deaths in the spring of 2015 (see What's behind the 'anti-vax' movement?, BBC News).
Now, when you present a child with the outlook of having shots, of course they’re going to respond perhaps with fear, or at least some kind of recoil at the thought of something that could be painful. I believe, though, that if you do not resort to scare tactics, and instead use logic and solid reasoning, you could easily explain to a child the benefits to having a vaccination. Even if you used something elementary, like a cartoon, or the promise of reward, such as treats and candies.
That’s not to say this sort of thing wouldn’t seem like cheap manipulation, but if you can convince just one child that their parent’s anti-vaccine stance is not only harmful, but deadly, you can convince more. And then you have a solid stance for how including children in their own health care decisions would not only be beneficial to them, but the rest of society as well.
Who wants another bubonic plague outbreak? I sure don’t. (see Here’s What You Need to Know About the Bubonic Plague, Time)
Conclusion
Right now, in current society, children do not have much or any say at all in their healthcare decisions. There are many different nuances to consider when analyzing this topic and hurdles that must be overcome in order to make this change, but there are clear benefits in doing so. Parents and extended family can be stubborn, but what’s more important is fostering a healthier society from the root of it—with our children.
References
New Meta-analysis Confirms: No Association between Vaccines and Autism, 2014, Autism Speaks
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/new-meta-analysis-confirms-no-association-between-vaccines-and-autism
What's behind the 'anti-vax' movement? 2015, BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-33774181
Leaving the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Voices for Vaccines
http://www.voicesforvaccines.org/leaving-the-anti-vaccine-movement/
Here’s What You Need to Know About the Bubonic Plague, Time, 2015
http://time.com/4094862/bubonic-plague-facts/
Treatment decisions regarding infants, children and adolescents, US National Library of Medicine, 2004 pages 99-103
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2720471/
