Patient participation

Patient participation is when grown-ups like you and me are asked to share what we think and feel about the care that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare people give us.

Sometimes, our parents or guardians may have to make decisions for us when we're sick, and the doctors and nurses will talk to them. But when we're older and mature enough, we can talk to these people by ourselves and tell them what we want or don't want, and how we like to be treated.

Patient participation also means that doctors and nurses listen to us and understand what we're saying. They ask us questions about our health and how we feel, and they take our answers seriously.

When we participate, we feel more involved in our healthcare and in charge of our bodies. It helps us trust the people who are taking care of us and encourages us to be more responsible. It's essential to make sure that everyone involved in our care knows how we feel and what we think about it, so they can provide us the best possible healthcare.