Health peer outreach by high school students.
A health screening program was established in an inner-city New York public high school using the services of trained members of the student body as screeners. These students were trained to do a variety of health-related examinations and tests. Supervision and training were provided by a school health educator and members of a medical team from a nearby municipal hospital medical center. The primary goal was to reach, through peer involvement, those students who would be unlikely to interact with the routine health-care system. Of the 480 students receiving screening examinations, 291 were found to have abnormalities. In addition, a greater awareness of medical issues and available health-care facilities was seen among the student body. Through their training, the student screeners were exposed to various health-care fields, thus increasing their awareness of medical career potentials.
D000293:Adolescent; D000295:Adolescent Medicine; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D010379:Peer Group; D012572:School Health Services