Cooperative Living July 2020 - 19

HealthyTake | Story courtesy of StatePoint Media
Making the Most
of Visits to the Doctor
Tips for parents to help empower their teens
he transition from childhood
to adolescence is a complex time
for kids, but it's also a complex
time for you, and you may find yourself
unsure of how to give your children
more independence and when to stay
involved. But when it comes to doctors'
visits, medical experts emphasize the
importance of empowering teens to
talk to their doctors one-on-one.
" During routine visits, it's important
for adolescents to feel comfortable
discussing their health care needs
with their physicians, " says Dr.
Maria Trent, chair of the American
Academy of Pediatrics Section
on Adolescent Health. " Often,
it is only during confidential,
one-on-one conversations
that teens are able to get the
information and resources
that they need to be healthy
and safe. "
When teens and young adults aren't
sure if what they tell their doctors is
confidential, they are less willing to
discuss sensitive topics or may skip care
altogether, suggests research published
in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
This is especially true for adolescents
who report engaging in risky
behaviors or report experiencing
psychological distress, meaning those
who need care the most may not be
seeking it from their doctors.
You, your teens and their doctors
should work together to ensure that
co-opliving.com
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confidential, one-on-one care is a part
of every visit.
In an effort to increase the number of
adolescents and young adults receiving
preventive services, and to help you
support your teen's journey towards
independence and responsibility, here
are some tips developed by the
Adolescent Health Consortium,
a collaborative effort between
the American Academy of
Pediatrics, American Academy
of Family Physicians, the Society
for Adolescent Health and
Medicine and the American Congress
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
* Understand the benefits of oneon-one
time between adolescents and
doctors and make it a priority.
Confidential care is good for teens'
health. If one-on-one time isn't offered
or encouraged during the visit, consider
volunteering to leave the room.
* Prepare your teens for one-on-one
time with their doctors by explaining its
purpose and benefits, and encouraging
them to come to the visit with a list of
questions to have answered. Let teens
know that it's their bodies, their
health, and their life, and that they
should feel empowered to get the
information they need. Explain how
patient confidentiality works, so
teens feel comfortable addressing
any health concerns they have.
* Talk to teens about healthy
relationships, positive choices, social
media, as well as potentially sensitive
topics, such as substance use and
sexually transmitted infection
prevention, gender identity and
sexual orientation and more. Regular
communication at home can lead to
greater trust and a bigger chance that
teens will open up about health
concerns.
Experts say that confidential,
one-on-one care can help teens make
the most of their doctors' visits. As
a parent, you can actively promote
discussions between doctors and
patients that will allow teens to get
the care they need. ■
More parent resources and tips can
be found at healthychildren.org.
July 2020 | Cooperative Living | 17
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
http://www.healthychildren.org http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living July 2020

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