Standards and indicators on health promotion: re-orienting healthcare services for children’s health promotion

In 2017/2018, the Task Force on Health Promotion for Children and Adolescents in and by Hospitals and Health Services started working on Standards and Indicators on Health Promotion for Children and Adolescents in Hospitals and Healthcare Services. The goal was to give a specific contribution on children’s and adolescents’ specific health promotion needs in hospital and healthcare services. The standards and indicators took inspira- tion from the concepts, guidelines and outcomes of the WHO Standards for Health Promotion in Hospital (2004) and from the Child Rights-based Approach developed by the UN Agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO). The Task Force produced a document to assist professional with the Standards implementation pro- cess. This document has been peer-reviewed and the standards have been tested in five Children’s Hospitals and Healthcare services. After the testing phase conclusion, the TF Standards and indicators have been revised taking into account profes- sionals’ evaluation and comments and they have been shared with the rest of the Task Force. At this point the main issue for this and other tools is how to make them be effectively used by organizations: it is time to overcome professionals’ resistances towards their implementation, as health promotion should always accompany clinical activities. Are children’s and adoles- cents’ views perceived as fundamental for re-orienting healthcare services? As a matter of fact a critical approach and possibly an international debate on this issue could be useful in order to understand the reasons behind possible hindrances and hesitations of professionals in implementing children’s rights and health promotion tools in hospitals and healthcare services, both at planning and at operational level. How can these tools have an impact on children’s and adolescents’ health if they are not considered as part of healthcare services protocols? Children’s specific needs must be intended as part of an efficient and inclusive Healthcare service in order to help building child friendly policies and practices.