• Cristina Nova, Elena Vegni, and Egidio Aldo Moja.
• Department of Medicine Surgery and Dentistry, San Paolo Hospital, Medical School of Milan, Via Di Rudini 8, I-20142 Milan, Italy. psicocat@unimi.it
• Patient Educ Couns. 2005 Sep 1; 58 (3): 327-33.

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to explore (1) how and with which specificity the young patient contributes to the visit; (2) the communicative-relational manner with which adults handle the child's interventions.MethodsTen videoed visits with patients aged 2-6 years were selected. A content and discourse analysis was realized.ResultsResults showed three macro-categories that seem to fully describe the young patient interventions: (1) The subjective experience regarding the illness; (2) The child's own learning process; (3) The child's medical knowledge. These contributions seem to be handled by the adults in processes that may or may not integrate the patient contributions.DiscussionResults confirmed the quantitatively limited child's contribution, but they also showed an active child, who communicates with the adults about the subjective experience of the visit or the illness, and who autonomously handle the learning process about the roles in the visit.Practice ImplicationsPhysicians should improve their communication skills to integrate the child's interventions.

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