The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49271

Marlo Kay Simmons, MPH, Tanene Allison, Daniel Leonard, and Janet Shalwitz, MD. Adolescent Health Working Group, 323 Geary Street, Suite 418, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 576-1170, marlo@ahwg.net

Purpose: Many health risks facing adolescents are preventable. This highlights the need for adolescents to have access to health care that meets their needs, including preventive health care services. The Adolescent Health Working Group (AHWG) conducted Healthy Realities, a youth-led project evaluating the accessibility and youth-friendliness of 20 clinics in San Francisco, CA. Methods: The Healthy Realities evaluations, designed and conducted by a team of diverse adolescents, included three key components: two site visits in which a teen assessed the “youth-friendliness” of the clinic; four phone calls to schedule an appointment for a check-up or a pregnancy test; and an interview with a clinic administrator regarding the clinic’s policies. The Healthy Realities evaluation tools were developed by the team of youth evaluators and an adult coordinator. The development process included a review of current literature and existing tools relating to adolescent patient satisfaction and identifying barriers to care. Focus groups and interviews with youth were also conducted. Findings: Qualitative data analysis was conducted. We found that barriers to care for preventive services were far greater than for sensitive services. Other barriers included a lack of evening and weekend clinic hours. Clinic visits revealed a widespread need for more youth friendly reading materials, posters, and health education resources. Clinic policies relating to confidentiality and fees were inconsistent and varied widely among clinics and individual providers. Most clinic sites were found to be clean, welcoming and in good condition. Conclusion: With the recent focus on preventive health care and access to care, it is important that clinics involve youth in examining barriers preventing them from accessing health services.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Describe the purpose of the Healthy Realities assessments.
• 2)Understand the study design and methods of a youth-led data collection project.
• 3)Articulate the nature of barriers to care identified by the Healthy Realities youth evaluators.
• 4)Discuss ways to involve adolescent patients in evaluation and quality improvement initiatives.

Keywords: Access to Care, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.