Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Initiation Among Adolescents After an American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement.

This cross-sectional study compares monthly rates of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) insertions among adolescents before and after an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement recommending LARC for this age group.

"I feel like it gives me what I need to know": A qualitative study on adolescent perceptions of two contraceptive decision aids.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to understand how adolescents perceive two commonly used contraceptive decision aids and which elements adolescents identified as most important to them. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study of adolescents' perceptions of two decision aids, Your Birth Control Choices designed by the Reproductive Health Access Project and Birth Control: What's Important to You? designed by Power to Decide for Bedsider.org. We conducted semistructured interviews with 20 adolescents (aged 15-19 years) who were assigned female sex at birth and attended a single clinic in North Carolina. Interview questions addressed the decision aids' aesthetic design, informational content, inclusivity, and comprehensibility. We transcribed and analyzed interviews using Dedoose software. We developed a codebook using a combination of a priori and inductive codes followed by content analysis to identify themes. RESULTS: All participants agreed that both decision aids could be helpful with contraceptive decision-making and with patient-provider discussions. However, some phrasing and descriptions of contraceptive methods were confusing. Participants preferred realistic imagery, clear explanations of side effects, and details on method use. Participants expressed a preference for the information contained in the detailed Reproductive Health Access Project decision aid, while most favored the aesthetic design and layout of the Bedsider decision aid. CONCLUSIONS: Although adolescents expressed sentiments of increased knowledge and empowerment after reviewing the decision aids, this study suggests neither decision aid completely meets adolescent needs and preferences. Additional adaptations are necessary to create adolescent-centered contraceptive decision aids. IMPLICATIONS: Adolescents in this study found two contraceptive decision aids as useful adjuncts to conversations with providers. The decision aids improved contraceptive knowledge and may facilitate decision-making. However, neither of the studied decision aids fully met the perceived needs of adolescents. Future adaptations or designs should include additional adolescent-centered content.

Confidential Telehealth Care for Adolescents: Challenges and Solutions Identified During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose of review: To identify lessons learned about maintaining confidentiality for adolescent telehealth care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings: Adolescents, parents, and providers recognize benefits of telehealth for confidential care while also identifying potential risks for confidentiality breach unique to the telehealth care setting. Summary: Rapid implementation of telehealth care during COVID-19 presented an opportunity to test strategies that protect confidentiality for adolescents accessing care through telehealth. Policy, practice, and provider-level interventions are needed to ensure that adolescents can access confidential care through telehealth.

Increased Detection of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia After Implementation of a Universal Screening Protocol in a Pediatric Primary Care Clinic.

BACKGROUND: Literature suggests that adolescents may not accurately report sexual activity to their providers, impeding risk-based screening efforts for gonorrhea and chlamydia (GC/CT). We assessed the effect of a clinic-based universal GC/CT screening initiative on GC/CT screening frequency and detection of GC/CT infections among adolescents (boys and girls ≥13 years) and the association between positive GC/CT and documented sexual activity. METHODS: We conducted a pre-post analysis of a primary care clinic affiliated with an academic institution. The electronic medical record was queried to extract all adolescent well and acute encounters for the 12 months preimplementation and postimplementation of universal GC/CT screening in January 2015. RESULTS: Eight hundred fifty-six encounters from 752 unique adolescents were included. Screening increased postimplementation (23.3% vs 61.4%, P < 0.001) of universal screening. Although there were similar rates of documented sexual activity preimplementation and postimplementation (14.6% vs 16.0%), a larger proportion of unknown sexual activity was documented (10.5% vs 23.7%, P < 0.001). Provider-level factors were the most frequent reasons for not screening. The absolute number of GC/CT cases increased, although the proportion of cases out of all eligible adolescents remained similar as more testing was completed (chlamydia, 5 of 752 vs 12 of 752; P = 0.09; gonorrhea, 0 of 752 vs 1 of 752; P = 0.32). Nearly half of positive chlamydia infections postimplementation appeared in adolescents who reported no sexual activity. CONCLUSIONS: Universal screening in a primary care clinic increased screening and detection of cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia, including in adolescents who did not report sexual activity.

Adolescent and Parent Perceptions of Telehealth Visits: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PURPOSE: Telehealth presents unique benefits and challenges for adolescents and their parents. This study aimed to explore adolescent and parent perceptions of privacy, confidentiality, and therapeutic alliance during telehealth video visits. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed-methods study. English-speaking parents and 13- to 17-year-old adolescents who completed a video visit at eight academic-affiliated pediatric primary care practices in the Southeastern U.S. were recruited between September 2020 and January 2021. Online surveys were administered and analyzed using descriptive and bivariable analysis. Subsequent semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Forty-eight adolescents and 104 parents completed surveys. Fourteen adolescents and 20 parents were interviewed. Mean ages of adolescents and parents were 15 and 46 years, respectively, and most participants identified as female, non-Hispanic, and white. Seventy-seven percent of adolescents reported very private telehealth visits. Most privacy concerns were related to the location of the visit in the patient's home or family members overhearing. Adolescents reported that alone time with their provider increased comfort in discussing sensitive issues, although only 31% of adolescents reported having time alone with their provider during their telehealth visit. Neither adolescents nor parents reported concerns about confidentiality. Interviews suggested that adolescent autonomy and independence in accessing health care may explain the positive relationship observed between therapeutic alliance and privacy. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents and parents describe telehealth as convenient, useful, private, and confidential. Providers should strive to maximize privacy and the therapeutic alliance during video visits, including encouraging alone time and supporting adolescent autonomy and independence.

Initiation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Hospitalized Adolescents in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze factors associated with the initiation of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) among adolescent patients in inpatient settings in the United States. METHODS: This study is a secondary data analysis of the national Kids' Inpatient Database 2016 data (N = 4200 hospitals). Eligible patients were hospitalized girls 10 to 20 years old. The primary outcome was initiation of LARC (ie, subdermal implant and/or intrauterine device [IUD]) while hospitalized. Covariables included age, race or ethnicity, insurance type, postpregnancy status, geographic region, hospital type (rural or urban), hospital size, and children's hospital status. Bivariable statistics were calculated by using survey-weighted analysis, and a design-based logistic regression model was used to determine the adjusted odds of LARC initiation and of implant versus IUD initiation. RESULTS: LARC initiation occurred in 0.4% (n = 3706) of eligible hospital admissions (n = 874 193). There were differences in LARC initiation by patient age, insurance type, race or ethnicity, postpregnancy status, hospital type, and hospital status (all P < .01). In the adjusted model, older age, public insurance, nonwhite race or ethnicity, postpregnancy status, and urban, teaching or larger hospitals were independently associated with LARC initiation (all P < .01). Smaller hospital size and postpregnancy status increased the odds of implant versus IUD initiation after stratifying by hospital region. CONCLUSIONS: LARC initiation occurred in <1% of adolescent hospitalizations, with 90% of those occurring in postpregnancy adolescents. Addressing LARC capacity in rural, nonteaching, and smaller hospitals is important in increasing access. Future research is needed to identify and close gaps in the number of adolescents desiring and initiating LARC in hospital settings.

A Clinic-Based Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Screening for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Universal screening is a strategy for addressing the limitations of risk-based screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia (GC/CT). This quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed to improve GC/CT screening by implementing universal annual screening for all adolescents ≥ 13 years old. METHODS: At an academic pediatric resident continuity clinic, an interdisciplinary team designed and conducted multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles over one year. The primary aim, and process measure, was to increase the percentage of encounters with screening for GC/CT in the 12 months prior to the encounter to 80%. The secondary outcome measure was rate of detection of GC or CT infection. Further, pulse checks of provider/staff knowledge and adherence were conducted. The balancing measure was denied insurance claims. RESULTS: The mean screening rate of 29.2% increased during the project implementation to 65.1% with several bundles of PDSA cycles. There were no cases of gonorrhea detected in the baseline period or implementation period. The case rate of chlamydia was similar during both periods (from 9.7 per 1,000 adolescent encounters to 10.8 per 1,000 adolescent encounters, p = 0.74). There was similarly high provider/staff knowledge about (p = 0.35) and adherence to (p = 0.06) the screening protocol at 6 and 12 months of implementation. There was no increase in percentage of denied insurance claims. CONCLUSION: This QI initiative doubled rates of GC/CT screening with no statistically significant increase in number of cases.