Patient participation, a prerequisite for care: A grounded theory study of healthcare professionals’ perceptions of what participation means in a paediatric care context

AIMS: To explore healthcare professionals’ perceptions of what patient participation means in a paediatric care context. DESIGN: A qualitative explorative design with grounded theory. METHODS: Fifteen healthcare professionals who worked in paediatric care settings were either interviewed or asked open‐ended questions in a survey, during December 2015–May 2016. Grounded theory was used as a method. RESULTS: The study results provide a theoretical conceptualization of what patient participation meant for healthcare professionals in paediatric care and how participation was enabled. The core category “participation a prerequisite for care” emerged as the main finding explaining the concept as ethical, practical and integrated in the care givers way of working. However, the concept was implicit in the organization. Four additional categories illustrated the healthcare professionals’ different strategies used to enhance patient participation; “meeting each child where the child is,” “building a relationship with the child,” “showing respect for each individual child” and “making the most of the moment.”