Messages to doctors and nurses

We asked young people to give health professionals their advice about how to make things better for those living with a chronic illness. Here is what they have to say:

Communication and attitudes of doctors and nurses

Talk to me as a person and do not lecture me.
Be compassionate and sensitive, sometimes we are in a great deal of pain.
Talk to us and not just our parents.
Don't see us as just 'the patient' but see us as teenagers with other things going on in our lives as well.
If you suspect a young person is not following his/her treatment do nag, bride and place bets. It made the patient-doctor interaction more interesting.
Be sensitive to our problems and our needs in living with a chronic illness.
Some of us need more frequent hospital appointments.
We have lived with our condition most of our lives so we know as much as you do. Please acknowledge our understanding of the condition.
It is important for young people to have a say in their treatment.
Reassured us when you see us frightened and nervous.
Try and look at things from our perspective.
Give us the opportunity to talk to you away from our parents.
Be friendly.
Be knowledgeable.

Don't just talk to the parents, include the child as well.

Health workers need to be gentle and to allow plenty of time for the consultation.

Be aware teenagers will lie to you about taking medication but you just need to nag, nag and nag. Teenagers will grow out if it.

Look at things from the individual patient perspective. Not all CF patients are the same.

Doctors should know more about ME because that is the first person you go to when you are ill. Young people suspected with ME should be referred to someone who knows about it.

Teenagers need regular and frequent appointments. Doctors need to ask more questions about how you are controlling your diabetes.

Listen to what young people are saying but also listen for what they are not saying. Ask questions about sensitive or embarrassing issues.

It is hard to communicate with doctors because you are worried. Doctors should recognise how difficult it is for us to talk to them and not judge us.

Eczema is not a superficial or just a cosmetic issue. It affects how young people feel about themselves.

Advice and information about chronic illness:

Provide sensitive information in a non-frightening manner.
Tell us everything we need to know about our condition.
Ask us questions that might help us overcome our embarrassment about discussing certain issues like sex.
Educate and inform us about our condition so we understand and control it better.