Telemedicine Use in Adolescent Primary Care
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2024
Identifier
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-55760-6_6
Abstract
Background: Telemedicine has become an important tool in the medical care of adolescents, especially as virtual interactions became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers caring for adolescents in primary care need concise guidance on how to adapt telemedicine effectively for this population.
Design/Methods: A review of available literature was performed with PubMed, ClinicalKey, and web-based guidelines for pediatric telehealth (AAP, Bright Futures, American Telemedicine Association) for articles pertaining to virtual care for well and problem visits for teens. This also included strategies to adapt the visit, including the physical exam and anticipatory guidance to the telehealth setting. We compiled tactics for incorporating telemedicine successfully into primary care for teens.
Results: While limited regarding physical examinations, most adolescent visit types can be fully or mostly performed through telemedicine. Many studies have found high patient satisfaction with telemedicine among adolescents and their caregivers. Adaptations to ensure privacy are vital for promoting autonomy, allowing sharing of concerns, and providing effective and pertinent anticipatory guidance. It is imperative that routine immunizations and screening labs continue to be incorporated into virtual visits with the assistance of nursing visits or laboratory orders as indicated.
Conclusion: Structuring effective telemedicine virtual workflows will ensure high-quality care, maximize team-based care approaches, and provide for smoother transitions to adult care. Telemedicine has the potential to increase access to care in many respects (decreasing travel time, decreasing missed work/school, and improving access to specialty care). There remains limited research on patient health outcomes following the recent expansion of telemedicine. Future research should also include evaluating the use of this modality for transitions of care and assessing telehealth platform security. Given the increase in the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential to improve care accessibility and patient satisfaction, primary care providers must familiarize themselves with how to optimize telemedicine for adolescent care.
Journal Title
Telemedicine for Adolescent and Young Adult Health Care
First Page
61
Last Page
83
Recommended Citation
Bryant, E., Reis, L.D., Ruedinger, E. (2024). Telemedicine Use in Adolescent Primary Care. In: Evans, Y.N., Golub, S.A., Sequeira, G.M. (eds) Telemedicine for Adolescent and Young Adult Health Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55760-6_6
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