Evaluation of a Curriculum to Improve Clinician Communication With Adolescents.

Introduction: While guidelines for health care clinicians working with adolescent patients encourage open communication and confidential visits, current practices often fall short and many adolescents do not receive confidential care or adequate communication about sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, and other sensitive health topics.

Methods: The Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) program in Wisconsin aims to bridge communication gaps between adolescents and health care clinicians. Teen educators are hired and trained to lead 2 types of workshops-one targeting peers and one targeting clinicians.

Results: Pre- and post-intervention evaluations show improvements in clinician and teen knowledge, intentions to seek and provide quality care, and reported change in care delivery.

Conclusion: The PATCH program curriculum shows promise for improving the care of young people throughout Wisconsin.