Screen for Risk-taking Behaviors
Spending confidential time with adolescent patients provides an opportunity to discuss sensitive issues.
Spending confidential time with adolescent patients provides an opportunity to discuss sensitive issues. Discussions may be streamlined with the use of a standardized risk behavior screening tool. Screening all adolescent patients for risk-taking behaviors is recommended by the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Preventive Medicine. However, research indicates that this recommendation is not universally followed, with the rates of screening and counseling adolescents on risk-taking behaviors ranging from 15-50%.
Conversations about risk-taking behaviors can sometimes be difficult for health care professionals to navigate. This Starter Guide includes strategies and best practices for assessing risk-taking behaviors with adolescent patients.
Interested in getting your practice up to speed on providing confidential risk behavior screening for adolescent patients? We help health centers across the country implement customized workflows to best fit their needs and carry out best practices.
