A Research Agenda for Emergency Medicine-based Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2019

Identifier

DOI: 10.1111/acem.13809; PMCID: PMC6885091 (available on 2020-12-01)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify key questions for emergency medicine (EM)-based adolescent sexual and reproductive health and to develop an evidence-based research agenda.

METHODS: We recruited national content experts to serve as advisory group members and used a modified Delphi technique to develop consensus around actionable research questions related to EM-based adolescent reproductive and sexual health care. Author subgroups conducted literature reviews and developed the initial list of research questions, which were iteratively refined with advisory members. External stakeholders then independently rated each item for its importance in expanding the evidence base (1 = not important to 5 = very important) via electronic survey.

RESULTS: Our final list of 24 research questions included items that intersected all sexual and reproductive health topics as well as questions specific to human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STIs), pregnancy prevention, confidentiality/consent, public health, and barriers and facilitators to care. External stakeholders rated items related to HIV/STI, cost-effectiveness, brief intervention for sexual risk reduction, and implementation and dissemination as most important.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified critical questions to inform EM-based adolescent sexual and reproductive health research. Because evidence-based care has potential to improve health outcomes while reducing costs associated with HIV/STI and unintended pregnancy, funders and researchers should consider increasing attention to these key questions.

Journal Title

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Volume

26

Issue

12

First Page

1357

Last Page

1368

MeSH Keywords

Adolescent; Adolescent Health; Consensus; Delphi Technique; Emergency Medicine; Female; Health Services Research; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Reproductive Health; Sexual Health

Keywords

Adolescent Health; Consensus; Delphi Technique; Emergency Medicine; Health Services Research; Pregnancy; Reproductive Health; Sexual Health

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