Abstract

Adolescence is a period of rapid physical, cognitiveCognitive and psychosocial growth that represents a progressive transition from childhood to adulthood. With this transition come unique health care concerns, an emerging quest for autonomyAutonomy, and desire and capacityCapacity to make one’s own health care decisions. Health care providersProviders caring for adolescentsAdolescents require a general frameworkFramework for navigating issues of confidentialityConfidentiality and consentConsent for this unique segment of the pediatric population. An adolescent’sAdolescentsdecision-making capacityDecision-making capacity depends not only on their age, but on their developmental level and maturity, emotionalEmotional intelligence, personal experience making determinative decisions, and other factors including, but not limited to, influence by peers, family, and their dominant cultureCulture. ProvidersProviders should use all the information at their disposal to evaluate decision-making capacityDecision-making capacity and, therefore, the adolescent’sAdolescents ability to meet criteria for the provision of informed assentAssent/consentConsent on a case-by-case basis. Given adolescentsAdolescents legal standing as minorsMinor, some level of parental involvement is typically expected, and HCPs must possess appropriate communicationCommunication skills for managing situations when there is disagreement between an adolescentAdolescents patient and their parentsParents or where parental involvement represents a barrier to confidential care. In general, relying upon principles of shared decision-makingDecision-making), providersProviders must strive to provide comprehensive, accessible care for adolescentsAdolescents that is respectful of their evolving autonomyAutonomy and emerging capacityEmerging capacity, while supporting and facilitating open and honest communicationCommunication between adolescentsAdolescents and their parentsParents.