Decision‐making experiences of young adults with long‐term conditions

Background: Young adults with long-term conditions can struggle to accept their diagnosis and can become overwhelmed with managing their condition. Sub-optimal transfer from paediatric to adult services with a resultant disengagement with the service, can result in less involvement in care and decision-making. Shared decision-making can improve involvement in health decisions and increase satisfaction with treatment/therapy and care. Objectives: An integrative literature review was conducted to explore and understand young adults’ experiences of decision-making in healthcare. Design: An integrative literature review. Data sources: CINAHL, EMCARE, PsycINFO, HMIC, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCOHOST and COCHRANE databases were searched for relevant literature published between January1999 to January 2020. Findings: Thirteen primary research papers met the inclusion criteria. Four main themes were identified: (1) Information delivery and communication; (2) Participation in decision-making; (3) Social factors influencing decision-making; and (4) Emotional impact of decision-making. Conclusions: Young adults with long-term conditions have specific decision-making needs which can impact on their emotional health. Research with a specific focus on young adults’ experiences of decision-making in healthcare is needed.