title: Children's experiences about a structured assessment of health-related quality of life during a patient encounter.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been stated that care for children with chronic health conditions tends to focus on condition-specific issues rather than how these children experience their health and everyday life functioning.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore children's experiences about a structured assessment of health-related quality of life applied during a patient encounter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prior to the start of the study, a clinical intervention based on the questionnaire DISABKIDS Chronic Generic Measure (DCGM-37) was performed. A qualitative explorative design was chosen, and 25 children between 10-17 years of age were interviewed after the consultation at four different paediatric outpatient clinics. Data were analysed according to qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results were twofold: children experienced that the assessment was providing them with insights about their health, which motivated them to make lifestyle changes. When outcomes were discussed and requested, the children felt encouraged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of an assessment of health-related quality of life may promote insights about health and encourage children with chronic health conditions to discuss their outcomes with healthcare professionals.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Welfare, Research School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University and The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and welfare, CHILD Research Group, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Welfare, Research School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University and The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and welfare, CHILD Research Group, Jönköping, Sweden.|Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huus
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Welfare, Research School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University and The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and welfare, CHILD Research Group, Jönköping, Sweden.|The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and welfare, Jönköping University and Futurum, Academy for Health and Care, Jönköping County, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Åkesson
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Enskär
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: childrens' views; chronic (health) condition; qualitative; quality of life; research methods