How to engage children with a chronic respiratory disease in policy making, research, and/or service delivery in an academic hospital? This question was the start of a participatory project in Emma Children's Hospital.

The project was initiated by APH researcher Susanne Vijverberg (senior researcher at Amsterdam UMC) and Barbara Groot (junior researcher Amsterdam UMC). The project was supported by an APH grant from the Societal Participation & Health program to promote collaboration between Amsterdam UMC locations VUmc and AMC.

Evaluation of this participatory project identified three motives for adolescents to engage: (1) experience of fun and becoming empowered by their illness; (2) the value of peer support and contact; and (3) being able to contribute to care and research. The support of the APH grant made it possible to jointly write an article about the project called: Adolescents' experiences with patient engagement in respiratory medicine.

Read the article in Pediatric Pulmonology

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