Primary care providers' reports of time alone and the provision of sexual health services to urban adolescent patients: results of a prospective card study.
Confidential care is an essential element of quality adolescent primary care. Twenty-one primary care providers tracked provision of confidential care (time alone with adolescent) and sexual health services in clinics serving low-income, primarily minority communities. Over 144 visits attended by a parent, 68% involved time alone with the adolescent. Time alone was 18 times higher for physicals than same day or walk-in visits, and 3 times higher if teen presented a sex complaint. Provision of sexual health services was 3 times higher for those who had time alone with the provider, especially among girls. The results indicate some missed opportunities to deliver needed services to at-risk populations, especially among boys.
O'Sullivan
Lucia F
LF
Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, 38 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. osulliv@UNB.ca
McKee
M Diane
MD
Rubin
Susan E
SE
Campos
Giselle
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003151:Community Health Centers; D003219:Confidentiality; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009518:New York; D010808:Physical Examination; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012043:Regression, Psychology; D012736:Sex Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*