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Voice

Getting older means having a voice in your health care, knowing your rights, providing consent, asking questions, and being informed about your health.

Tips and links

Activities

 

Tips and links

  • Practice the 3-Sentence Summary with your parents and family (from the Sick Kids website):
    • Sentence 1: My age, diagnosis and brief medical history
    • Sentence 2: My treatment plan
    • Sentence 3: My question/concern to talk about during this visit
  • Allie talks about her journey and finding her voice.
  • Matt gives tips on how to talk to health care providers and how to get them to talk to you.
  • Jenna shares her experiences being her own best advocate.

Activities

 

Tips and links

Activities

 

Tips and links

Activities

 

Tips and links

  • Ask your clinic nurse and family for suggestions for a family practitioner.
  • See a list of family practitioners in BC at bc211.ca.
  • Search online for the type of doctor you would like (eg. gender, youth-friendly, clinic location, office hours).
  • Search online for a nurse practitioner through the College of Registered Nurses of BC.
  • Make an appointment as a new patient, and see if they will be a good fit for you.
  • Tips for helping your Family Practitioner help you!
  • Check out how youth rate youth-friendly care providers in this video!

Activities

 

Tips and links

  • Ask your health care providers about future health concerns.
  • Find a mentor or a buddy who lives with the same condition(s) as you do!
  • Journal or make art about your feelings about future health concerns or conditions.
  • iheartchange.org is a transition site for youth with a heart condition – learn all about making the move to adult care.
  • Learn about a Representation Agreement to authorize assistance for health and personal care.

Activities

 

Tips and links

Activities

 

Tips and links

  • Did you know that you ;have to give informed consent before any medical procedures, not your parents?
  • Learn about a Representation Agreement so that someone else can give consent on your behalf. You can set up a Representation Agreement when you are 19 or older.
  • Practice shared decision-making with your parents so you can start making decisions independently.
  • Practice giving your consent in person and in writing before leaving your pediatric clinic.
  • Watch this video on a youth's perspective on privacy, confidentiality, and accessing personal information.
  • Check out the laws in BC around confidentiality and consent.
  • Learn about 'Social Smarts: Privacy, the Internet, and You' - a free graphic novel available online.
  • My 5 Wishes tool - a living will that encourages discussions about consent to treatment and end of life decisions.
  • Download the “My Voice: Planning Guide” (PDF) developed by the BC Ministry of Health to help with discussions, planning and legal documentation.

Activities

Consent in Health Care: A Guide for YouthRights and Safeguards: A Guide for Self-AdvocatesGetting Information to Make Informed Decisions



 

Tips and links

  • Watch this video where Mike shares his story transitioning from BCCH to adult health care.
  • Help to decrease your anxiety about changing clinics — watch this video where Ashlie shares her advice. 
  • Watch Shane's artistic example of the "Doctor Switch" then talk about it with your family.
  • Just TRAC it! 
    • Contacts app: add your team of Adult Specialist(s) and health care providers.
    • Calendar app: set reminders or alarms for your appointments — it's very important that you don't miss an appointment.
    • Ask your current health care providers for referrals to find the best adult team possible. 
  • Check directions to your new clinic(s) online — you can call for directions, or use Google Maps or TransLink!
  • Find a Specialist by gender, location, specialty, and language through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.
  • Find a physiotherapist through the Physiotherapy Association of BC.
  • Try the BC Health Services Locator app to locate services throughout the province.
  • Learn about Medical Specialists in BC — who does what?
  • Find out tips on how to change from a pediatrician to a family practitioner. 

Activities

 

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