Taking care of chronically ill adolescents and their families: doctors, nurses and social workers as a multidisciplinary integrated team or separate professionals? A qualitative investigation

The progressive diffusion of chronic diseases induces a substantial increase of the number of adolescent patients. Falling ill or being sick during this delicate phase of individual development determines, often, important consequences on the quality of family relationships. Today, multidisciplinary team must respond to physical needs of these teen-ager and their families, but also manage their psychological and social rehabilitation. These teams are composed by operators different for training and professional experiences. This research, carried out according to a qualitative paradigm and by narrative methodology, tries an exploratory analysis of different descriptions used by doctors, nurses and social professions telling about family relationship of their patients.