# Understanding healthcare autonomy among adolescents and young adults in the United States: a scoping review

## TL;DR

This review explores how adolescents and young adults in the U.S. make healthcare decisions and what factors influence their autonomy.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of barriers and facilitators to healthcare autonomy among adolescents and young adults.

## Key findings

- Most studies focused on specialized care and sexual/reproductive healthcare.
- Autonomy was primarily viewed as a key influence in healthcare decision-making.
- The review identified various barriers and facilitators to young people's healthcare autonomy.

## Abstract

Maps out the evidence on AYA's autonomy and decision-making in healthcare settings in the United States to provide a comprehensive and synergistic understanding of the barriers, facilitators, and other salient factors that influence autonomous decision-making.

This study followed the PRISMA and scoping review methodological frameworks. An electronic database search was performed using Boolean terms based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Included studies were analyzed using narrative synthesis and thematic analysis techniques.

The final review comprised 31 studies. Half (n = 16; 52%) focused on adolescent autonomy in specialized care, a third focused on sexual and reproductive healthcare (n = 8, 25%), and the remaining studies focused on general healthcare (n = 6; 19%). Most studies defined autonomy as a primary influence in healthcare decision-making (n = 24; 77%). Other conceptual definitions focused on reproductive decision-making and control (n = 5; 16%) or independent functioning (n = 3; 9%). The literature discussed various barriers and facilitators to AYAs’ sense of autonomy.

Studies regarding AYA autonomy have historically focused on specific patient populations in specialized healthcare areas. Researchers and practitioners can work towards creating tools to inform and assess interventions to support AYA autonomy in healthcare settings, including programs to improve care for youth.