Paediatric history and age-adapted consultation

These consent distinctions follow AAP paediatric decision-making guidance. ^{[3] [4]}

Use AMPLE only as a focused emergency history while treatment continues. ^{[13] [14]}

Overview & Definition

You are not taking an adult history with a smaller person in the room. A paediatric history is a structured conversation with a child or young person, the people who know their baseline, and the documents that fill the gaps. The aim is a usable problem representation: age, baseline, what changed, what threatens now, and what must happen next. ^{[2] [13]}

Think of the consultation as three jobs that run together. First, keep the child safe while you talk. Second, collect the story with the right voice for that age. Third, turn the story into a plan the family can use after they leave. If any of those jobs fails, good medical knowledge still produces bad care. ^{[7] [11] [14]}

This page owns consultation technique and history structure. It does not replace dedicated pages on the Paediatric Assessment Triangle, physical examination, growth charting, developmental surveillance or disease-specific management. Cross-link those pages rather than hiding a second chapter inside this one. ^{[13] [2]}

References17ShowHide

1. [1]Coble C Teaching SSHADESS Versus HEADSS to Medical Students: An Association With Improved Communication Skills and Increased Psychosocial Factor Assessments Acad Pediatr, 2023.PMID 36130691
2. [2]Svetaz MV Adolescent Health: Communication With Adolescent Patients FP Essent, 2021.PMID 34410092
3. [3]Katz AL Informed Consent in Decision-Making in Pediatric Practice Pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27456510
4. [4]COMMITTEE ON BIOETHICS Informed Consent in Decision-Making in Pediatric Practice Pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27456514
5. [5]Boylen S Impact of professional interpreters on outcomes for hospitalized children from migrant and refugee families with limited English proficiency: a systematic review JBI Evid Synth, 2020.PMID 32813387
6. [6]Gutman CK Professional Interpreter Use and Discharge Communication in the Pediatric Emergency Department Acad Pediatr, 2018.PMID 30048713
7. [7]Samuels-Kalow M Like a dialogue: Teach-back in the emergency department Patient Educ Couns, 2016.PMID 26597382
8. [8]Naureckas Li C Medication Education for Dosing Safety: A Randomized Controlled Trial Ann Emerg Med, 2020.PMID 32807539
9. [9]Samuels-Kalow ME Analysis of a Medication Safety Intervention in the Pediatric Emergency Department JAMA Netw Open, 2024.PMID 38214929
10. [10]Mills E Association between caregiver concern for clinical deterioration and critical illness in children presenting to hospital: a prospective cohort study Lancet Child Adolesc Health, 2025.PMID 40451224
11. [11]Burvenich R Effectiveness of safety-netting approaches for acutely ill children: a network meta-analysis Br J Gen Pract, 2025.PMID 39117428
12. [12]Starmer AJ Changes in medical errors after implementation of a handoff program N Engl J Med, 2014.PMID 25372088
13. [13]Kuo DZ Recognition and Management of Medical Complexity Pediatrics, 2016.PMID 27940731
14. [14]Davidson JE Guidelines for Family-Centered Care in the Neonatal, Pediatric, and Adult ICU Crit Care Med, 2017.PMID 27984278
15. [15]Forkey H Trauma-Informed Care Pediatrics, 2021.PMID 34312292
16. [16]Duffee J Trauma-Informed Care in Child Health Systems Pediatrics, 2021.PMID 34312294
17. [17]Forkey H Trauma-Informed Strategies in Pediatric Primary Care Pediatr Clin North Am, 2024.PMID 39433381