How do young people feel about confidentiality with their healthcare provider?
While most believe what is discussed behind closed doors should stay there, young people do have other concerns, according to a recent article in the Journal of Pediatrics, Confidentiality in the Doctor-Patient Relationship: Perspectives of Youth Ages 14-24 Years.
With 1,268 young people nationwide between the ages of 14 and 24 surveyed through a MyVoice text message mixed method poll, it was noted most young people have not discussed confidentiality with their provider.
Among the findings:
- Young people worry about their privacy, but also with what is noted in their visits will not lead to future discrimination.
- When it comes to risk behaviors, some young people may not be truthful or simply will not seek healthcare because they are concerned with confidentiality.
A key takeaway from this is the need for healthcare providers to not only discuss confidentiality, but to build trust with young patients to provide a basis for communicating openly.
This was co-authored by Noah A. Zucker, M.D. (University of Michigan Medical School); Christine Schmitt, B.S. (Georgetown University); Melissa J. DeJonckheere, Ph.D, Lauren P. Nichols, M.P.D. and Melissa A. Plegue, M.A. (Department of Family Medicine, U-M Medical School); and Tammy Chang, M.D., M.P.H, M.S. (Department of Family Medicine, U-M and the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, U-M).
The MyVoice project provides young people ages 14-24 an opportunity to voice their opinions on a wide range of health and societal topics. This youth advocacy program works through the collaborative efforts of physicians and health researchers, high school and college-aged junior researchers, as well as social scientists, computer scientists and designers.
