Increasing Delivery of Preventive Services to Adolescents and Young Adults: Does the Preventive Visit Help?

Abstract

Higher rates of preventive services associated with preventive visits support its clinical care value. However, low preventive services rates overall highlight necessary increased efforts to promote preventive care and improve the provider delivery of prevention for both age groups.

Puberty Education in a Global Context: Knowledge Gaps, Opportunities, and Implications for Policy

“…Current pediatric guidelines recommend covering puberty at the annual well‐child visit beginning at 7–8 years of age, with genital examinations recommended during adolescence (Hagen, Shaw, & Duncan, ; https://brightfutures.aap.org). Moreover, when young people get a well‐child visit, they are more likely to receive a broader range of services including time alone with their clinician, which may include discussion of puberty and sexual development (Adams, Park, Twietmeyer, Brindis, & Irwin, 2018b). However, less than half (48%) of adolescents (ages 10–17) currently receive a well‐child visit, which is the most likely time for puberty to be discussed (National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center, ).…”

Young Adult Preventive Healthcare: Changes in Receipt of Care Pre- to Post-Affordable Care Act

“…A landmark 2014 young adult report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM; renamed the National Academy of Medicine) describes challenges for young adults, including insurance access, discontinuities in care, and lack of adult providers trained to serve young adults [3]. Research shows lower rates of health care utilization for young adults than adolescents [2,4,5] and slightly older adults [6].…”

“…The evidence-based recommendations from USPSTF address several key areas of young adult health including screening related to alcohol and tobacco use, sexually transmitted infections, and depression [8]. A new study, using nationally representative data, found greater preventive services receipt among young adults and adolescents who attended a past-year well visit compared with those who attended a nonpreventive visit [5]. These findings were significant across a range of services, providing evidence that the well visit is an effective strategy for increasing receipt of preventive services.…”

“…These findings were significant across a range of services, providing evidence that the well visit is an effective strategy for increasing receipt of preventive services. Despite this evidence supporting the delivery of preventive services within a preventive care visit, preventive visit and services rates remain low for both adolescents and young adults [2,4,5].…”

Time Alone for Adolescents With Their Providers During Clinical Encounters: It Is Not That Simple!

“…This work is critically important. The U.S. National Medical Expenditure Survey (MEPS) Data documents that only 33% of children over 12 years of age had any time alone with clinicians at their most recent healthcare visit over the past year [9]. In this issue, Miller et al report on parental perceptions of the importance of time alone.…”