“Child participation” in the development of the Pediatric Residency program of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

In the context of the update of the Pediatric Residency Program of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the relevance of including the voices and participation of children and adolescents—as subjects of rights and protagonists of their own health/illness/care processes—has been recognized. This is aimed at understanding their representations of health, the role of pediatrics, and their expectations of the healthcare system. “Child participation” involves a series of theoretical and methodological reflections to understand and value the knowledge of children about their health processes, and to incorporate their needs and concerns transversally into the specialty program. Based on a flexible research design, interviews, workshops, and the analysis of drawings have been combined to identify the interests and demands of children and adolescents regarding the role of the pediatrician and the health system.