Does your adolescent see a pediatrician? Does he or she see your adult general practitioner? Adolescents have unique health care needs that may need a special doctor. Here are some tips to help you and your teen find the right doctor.
- Look for an adolescent specialist. This is a pediatrician who has extra training in the issues that can affect teenagers — everything from acne to eating disorders. You’ll have to look hard, though: less than 500 adolescent medicine specialists were certified between 1996 and 2005.
- Make sure your teen gets some alone time with the doctor. Starting between the ages of eleven and thirteen, your child may need to see the doctor alone — a promise of confidentiality made teens nearly three times more likely to discuss health concerns.
- Make sure your doctor speaks directly to your child when you’re in the room. Speaking directly to the patient (rather than the parent) demonstrates that the doctor is willing to listen and ready to begin a patient/doctor relationship.
- Make sure your doctor takes time. Teen medicine specialists often spend a half hour or more with each patient — longer than the average pediatric exam. Ask if you can schedule extra time for your teen’s appointment.
- Look for a doctor with connections. Teens have health issues that may require a dermatologist, psychologist, gynecologist, or sports medicine specialist (for example). Make sure your doctor knows who to ask for help if an issue is outside his or her area of expertise.
- Look for a well-stocked vaccination collection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommend between five and ten vaccines for kids between the ages of 11 and 19, including a tetanus booster, the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls, and Menactra — which can prevent a rare but deadly strain of meningitis.
If you are looking for a new doctor, you may want to find one that is the same sex as your teenager. Try searching online at www.adolescenthealth.org or ask other parents who their doctor is.