Communicating with young people

Age-appropriate communication skills help health professionals to engage effectively with young people. These communication skills are a key element for improving adherence with the health care regimen in young people with respiratory conditions, particularly those with chronic disease. Age-appropriate communication skills and assurance of confidentiality enable the clinician to assess the young person's psychosocial development and to understand his or her burden of illness, which form the basis for negotiating age-appropriate therapeutic goals and strategies. Negotiation of treatment may be the single most important factor that improves adherence in adolescent patients, resulting in more effective health outcomes.