Delivering adolescent preventive services in an office setting

Adolescence has long been recognized as a vulnerable period. Although several major medical professional organizations have published adolescent preventive care guidelines, regional and national surveys of youth, providers, and medical records all suggest many gaps exist in the delivery of recommended preventive services. In this article, we review the development of adolescent preventive health guidelines, describe current rates of preventive health screening and counseling, and explore barriers to delivery of preventive care for this age group. We present resources and practical suggestions to help the reader create an adolescent-friendly environment and to facilitate preventive health care delivery in your practice.