title: Variation in Practice of Expedited Partner Therapy for Adolescents by State Policy Environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess provider practice of expedited partner therapy (EPT) for adolescents with chlamydial infection across varying state policy environments and compare provider practice in a parallel treatment scenario for a nonsexually transmitted disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymous survey of randomly selected providers in one of three state EPT policy environments: EPT is (A) explicitly legal; (B) permissible, but not directly referenced in law; or (C) potentially allowable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 195 respondents, only 20% reported ever practicing EPT. Group A providers were more likely to have used EPT than Groups B and C. Commonly cited barriers included missed opportunity to counsel partners and ensuring medication delivery. In parallel hypothetical scenarios, providers were more likely to offer prophylactic antibiotics to a patient's mother for pertussis exposure without a face-to-face visit than the sexual partner of an adolescent with chlamydia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further investigation is needed to better understand provider and policy factors that may facilitate EPT provision to adolescents.
authors: Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; PolicyLab, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; PolicyLab, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Nadia
authors: N
authors: Dowshen
authors: PolicyLab, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors: Meredith
authors: M
authors: Matone
authors: PolicyLab, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Division of Emergency Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: mollenc@email.chop.edu.
authors: Cynthia
authors: C
authors: Mollen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006282:Health Personnel; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013219:State Government
keywords: Adolescent; Expedited partner therapy; Sexual health; Sexually transmitted infections; Testing