| The purposes of this study were to explore preferences for involvement of chronically ill adolescents in health treatment decision-making; describe, explain and predict relationships and differences in self-confidence in decision-making between older and younger chronically ill adolescents; and explore relationships between severity of symptoms and self-confidence in health treatment decision-making among chronically ill adolescents.; Ten to twenty million American children have some type of chronic illnesses with 90% survival to adulthood. There is lack of current literature on adolescent preferences for involvement in health care decisions. Courts and legislators assume that minors lack the requisite capacity for information, and lack competence to make health care decisions.; From a cross sectional research design, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis explored the research questions/hypothesis using SPSS version 11.0.; Results revealed that chronically ill adolescents desire involvement in decisions made for their care; that adolescents have high coping ability and self-confidence in decision-making even in stressful situations. Gender, diagnosis, and severity of symptoms did not contribute to the self-confidence of chronically ill adolescents. Overtime, coping ability contributed to self-confidence in decision-making. There were no significant differences in self-confidence in decision-making between younger and older chronically ill adolescents. Comparisons between variables and core perspectives revealed chronically ill adolescents' achieving for involvement in health treatment decision-making significant for evidence-based practice.; Results imply a paradigm shift in health policy to regulate involvement of chronically ill adolescents in health treatment decision-making. Results imply awareness among health care providers of the chronically ill adolescents' preference to have a voice for oneself in health treatment decision-making. Having a voice reinforces self-actualization among chronically ill adolescents as a part of their maturation process. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
