Engaging parents as partners in adolescent preventive care

Clinical preventive care for adolescents requires a balance between fostering youth autonomy and engaging parents in supportive roles. A study by Professor Renee Sieving, PhD, RN, FAAN, FSAHM, and colleagues explored primary care clinicians’ (PCCs) perspectives on engaging parents in adolescent health services.

Interviews with 25 PCCs from urban and rural Minnesota identified key themes regarding parents’ roles:

Interested, but not experts: Parents care about their teens’ wellbeing but often lack expertise in adolescent health.
Coachable sources of support: With guidance from PCCs, parents can become valuable sources of support, reinforcing their teens’ healthy behaviors.
Potential barriers: Parental concerns about confidentiality or personal beliefs may limit adolescents’ access to care. 
Facilitators of health care: Engaged parents can enhance adolescents’ access to and utilization of health care.

PCCs offered strategies to effectively engage parents:
• Educating parents on adolescent health issues to bridge knowledge gaps.
• Encouraging open, non-judgmental dialogue between parents and teens.
• Addressing parental concerns while upholding adolescent confidentiality.
• Coaching parents on how to reinforce positive health behaviors.

Sieving emphasized the need for tailored communication. “A ‘support and guide’ approach helps clinicians work with a diverse array of parents,” says Sieving. “For example, a parent who initially refuses time alone between a clinician and their adolescent should have their concerns heard. A clinician may say, ‘I’d love to hear about your concerns’, and then validate with supportive statements such as ‘It sounds like you have a strong relationship and really want to know what’s going on in your child’s life. That’s wonderful.’ The clinician might continue, ‘I also want your adolescent and you to have ongoing conversations about their health. During time alone, I routinely encourage teens to have open conversations with adults they trust.’”

By fostering collaboration among clinicians, parents and teens, PCCs can ensure effective preventive care, ultimately leading to better adolescent health outcomes.

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Primary Care Clinicians’ Views of Parents’ Roles in Clinical Preventive Services for Adolescents was published in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.