Aims and objectives. The purpose of this literature review was to search for and review, systematically, children's decision-making competence in health care in the scientific literature. Findings of both quantitative and qualitative studies were analysed thematically.Background. Most previous research in children's decision-making competence in health care concerns adults' care in the best interests of the child. It is important to consider decision-making competence from the child's perspective because of children's own human rights.

With this understanding of information exchange, nurses can enable and support children and young people to balance their circumstances and improve information exchanges, thereby promoting their partnership in care.

This study aimed to identify, describe and generate concepts regarding health care professionals' information exchanges with minors and/or their parents/guardians in paediatric caring situations. The study took place at three paediatric outpatient units at a university hospital and there were 15 health care professionals involved. Using the grounded theory and the constant comparative analysis methods, the data collection and analysis was undertaken simultaneously, using participant observation, review of medical records and follow-up interviews. The main concern of the health care professionals that emerged as the core category was: sharing and contributing responsibility, interrelated with the six categories; interchanging of knowledge, relationship-creating chat, calculated confirming, encouraging, dichotomous talking and of situation related effects. This research has explored the elements of information exchange in caring situations and highlighted the interaction between the involved persons. These findings could be valuable to health care professionals in order to develop and improve their caring skills.

In this column the authors discuss the ethics of information exchange in nursing practice with children. Five concepts identified in three Swedish grounded theory studies and a content analysis that used the theoretical framework of ethical demand were analyzed. A simultaneous concept analysis found five related concepts: being interconnected, acting according to accepted procedure, completeness, interdependence, and social intercourse. These concepts are synthesized in the concept of intergrade, which emphasizes the value of maintaining the integrity of all involved in information exchange.