ABSTRACT Background Children have a right to express their opinion on all matters concerning them. For children to be seen as actors in healthcare situations, both the child perspective and the child's perspective are needed. Aim To explore child participation in healthcare from the child's perspective through the following questions: Question 1: What is considered participation in healthcare among children aged 3–12 years? Question 2: What factors hinder and promote child participation in healthcare? Methods Systematic review reported following PRISMA guidelines. Database search was conducted in MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science Core Collection, and 28 studies were included in the review. The data were analysed using interpretive data synthesis. Results Six themes were identified: Question 1: 1 being able to decide how to act in the situation, 2 communicating with health professionals, 3 being adequately informed, 4 being allowed to make decisions; Question 2: 5 unfamiliar venues, parental obstruction and children's needs not being considered and 6 security, comfort and space. Conclusion Child participation in healthcare depends on their perception of the situation and opportunities created for their influence. Decision‐making on simple practical matters offers meaningful opportunities to acquire and refine decision‐making skills and these decisions are therefore developmentally significant. This review identified a gap in knowledge on pre‐school‐aged children's preferences in participation in healthcare situations. Implications for Care Practices Children should be recognised as unique individuals and asked about their preferences for participation in healthcare situations. They should be handed over a degree of power, as much as they are able and willing to take. Nurses have a central role in facilitating and encouraging participation by listening to and respecting children's views. Digital communication tools are one way to implement child‐centred care and increase children's participation, but more research is needed. Reporting Method This systematic review was conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Patient or Public Contribution No Patient or Public Contribution.
Hietanen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.