Creation of child-patient’s autonomy in a child-parent-doctor relationship: Medical doctors’ perspectives

Abstract

The present study is part of a larger research that analyses children’s autonomy in healthcare settings from the perspective of doctors, children and their parents. Based on responses of 52 medical doctors in Estonia, this paper explores doctor’s perspectives on how children’s autonomy is exercised in a child-parent-doctor triangle and how patient’s duality affects this process. The article combines relational theories of agency from childhood studies with the concept of children’s autonomy applied in children’s rights studies.