Welcome to adolescent health care at our practice!

You may have just started in our practice or have been coming here since your child was a newborn. As your child enters their adolescent years, we wanted to help you understand some of the changes you will see in their well appointment since it will be different from their visits as a younger child.  These changes all support an important CHOP mission: to partner with you in raising your adolescent into a healthy young adult. It is important that we see your teen every year for well visits. Some important parts of the teen visit are:

1. Health surveys: Your teen will use a computer tablet to answer questions about general and emotional health, and health behavior.
2. Physical exam and lab tests: Your teen will have a physical exam and may have blood or urine tests. Our practice follows the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations regarding screening for high blood pressure, healthy weight, and STD and HIV testing.
3. Confidentiality: We encourage teens to talk to parents as much as possible. We also follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to spend at least part of the well visit alone with your teen. In general, confidentiality means that we can’t discuss what teen patients tell us with people outside the healthcare team. Please know that if we think there is a serious threat to your teen’s safety, such as suicidal thinking, we will tell you. One-on-one time with their doctor or nurse practitioner also helps teens develop their own skills partnering with their health care provider and managing their health care.
4. Vaccines: Your teen may receive vaccines at their visit.
5. Transition: In the later teen years, we will work with your teen to make sure they understand their health needs as they transition into adulthood, and help them find an adult healthcare provider as who will best match their needs.
6. Education: We provide education to patients and parents about the health topics teens face, such as health and behavior change during the teen years. 
7. Connection: We recommend your teen signs up for their own access to the MyCHOP health portal so they can access their health information, learn about how to be involved in their own health care, and fill out health surveys on their mobile devices:

• If you don’t have a MyCHOP account, please call the front desk of your provider’s office and ask to enroll
• If you have an account, get the MyCHOP Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play

If you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to your teen’s care team. We look forward to helping them navigate their healthcare during these important years.