Study finds clinicians should normalize time alone during adolescent health care visits

How can health care professionals support the healthy development of adolescent patients? One opportunity health care professionals routinely have is to offer young people time alone during preventive visits. Research finds that time alone with a clinician supports development by giving adolescents the opportunity to talk with their clinician independently, which builds health literacy skills as teens take increasing responsibility for their own health care. Having time alone also increases the likelihood that sensitive topics including mental health and sexual health are addressed, that adolescents disclose sensitive health information, and that they receive appropriate health services.

In a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota researchers, including School of Nursing Professor Renee Sieving, PhD, RN, FAAN, FSAHM, aimed to understand how adolescent patients and their parents or guardians experience the introduction of time alone during adolescent preventive visits. In qualitative interviews, 35 pairs of 11-17 year olds and their parents described their experiences and preferences related to learning about time alone with a health care professional.

“This study suggests that clinicians should strive to normalize time alone as a routine, developmental step in adolescent health care. Both parents and adolescents can benefit from communication about time alone before it occurs to set the expectation for this practice,” says Sieving.

Findings suggested that adolescents prefer a universal application of time alone with an option to opt-out (e.g., “At this age, I always ask parents to step out for a few minutes. Are you OK with that?”) rather than an opt-in (e.g., “Would you like your parent to step out?”). Parents noted that time alone should be presented as routine, so they don’t wonder if time alone was offered to their teen for a specific reason.

Christopher Mehus, PhD, lead author and research associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, notes, “These findings suggest that universal presentation of time alone with the option for adolescents to opt out may improve acceptability of time alone and support of high quality care.”

Learn more

Read the Journal of Adolescent Health article How is Time Alone Introduced? Experiences and Preferences of Adolescents and Parents at z.umn.edu/timealone.