Assessing Competence in Children

The asthma nurse at your surgery has asked you to come and review a 15-year-old girl, Shania, who has booked in to discuss her medication. She was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 6 and has had several admissions to hospital with severe asthma attacks. She is now at boarding school and feels that over the past few months her asthma has not been as well controlled as before, despite taking her inhalers regularly. On closer questioning you discover that she is only really symptomatic during extreme exertion, but Shania feels that she would like to try stronger treatment as her breathing is affecting her during running and she wants to compete at county level at the upcoming cross-country sports events.

• When is a young person considered competent to make healthcare decisions?
• Are there any limitations on what treatments a young person can consent to?
• What is the role of parents of a competent child in healthcare decision making?

Apply Theory (Specific Professional Healthcare Competencies + Clinical Medical Ethical Principles) to Practice in order to provide Optimal Patient-Centered Care (OPCC)

Source – Ethics Case Studies from Clinical Ethics and Law (Second Edition), Carolyn Johnston Penelope Bradbury