Adolescent Health
Lowry Pediatrics to Implement New Adolescent Health Questionnaire
As partners in your adolescent’s health care journey, Lowry Pediatrics is committed to caring for your teen’s physical health, mental health, and sexual health. All families will experience the transition from childhood to adolescence in their household and this includes increased independence for teens around health care decision making. While this transition is exciting, it can present some unique challenges. Consistent with both the AAP and CDC’s standards of care, it is important for the providers at Lowry Pediatrics to provide all adolescents with the opportunity for confidential and honest discussions about their health. So, how do we do this?
We know that the use of standardized screening tools by pediatric providers is more effective in the identification of health issues than clinical assessments alone. Data even suggests that teens are more likely to disclose sensitive information regarding health risks when answering a questionnaire in comparison to private interviews with a clinician only. Universal screening of patients helps prevent missed opportunities for anticipatory guidance and risk reduction. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has recently published a study regarding their success in developing and implementing an adolescent health questionnaire.
Lowry Pediatrics has decided to create our own adolescent screening tool that will help us both gain trust with our adolescent patients and identify problems early on. Our objective is that this pre-visit questionnaire will “help promote discussion about certain adolescent-focused topics, identify which adolescents may benefit from further intervention, and expedite the visit to focus on key topics (CHOP).”
Some of the topics that we will be talking about will include:
- Nutrition and body image
- Friends and relationships
- Emotions and mood
- Sexuality and sexual health
- Drugs, alcohol, and other risk taking behaviors
- Guns and safety
We will discuss all of these subjects in an age and maturity-appropriate manner. In order for these discussions to be as open and helpful as possible, we will assure your adolescent that our discussions are confidential. If there is a concern that your teen is doing harm to themselves or someone else, we will inform you right away. Regarding sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, pregnancy, and drug use, we will encourage your teen to share this information with you.
Our goal is that your adolescent leaves their visit at Lowry Pediatrics feeling respected and engaged in their healthcare. We pledge to provide culturally competent care, sensitive to each teen’s culture, ethnicity, community values, religion, language, educational level, sex, gender, and sexual orientation. Our screening tool will be administered at every annual well child check for adolescents 13 years and older followed by one-on-one time with their provider.
Thank you for allowing us to stand alongside you as you raise healthy, thriving, babies, children, and adolescents. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns with your child’s health care provider.
