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Primary care providers are well positioned to address the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of adolescents; however, gaps often exist in the delivery of quality SRH services in primary care. Our objective was to identify specific opportunities to improve the delivery of adolescent SRH services in primary care. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 primary care providers from various disciplines across rural and urban areas of Minnesota and conducted thematic analysis of transcribed data. Participants identified salient opportunities in three areas: (1) training and resources for providers (e.g., related to minor consent laws or addressing sensitive subjects), (2) practices and procedures (e.g., time-alone procedures and policies for confidential screening and sharing test results), and (3) education for adolescents (e.g., knowing their rights and accessing confidential SRH services). Study findings provide actionable opportunities to improve delivery of adolescent SRH services in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little literature exists on primary care providers’ knowledge and preferences toward breast cancer screening for high-risk women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey of primary care providers in Minnesota was conducted in 2016. The primary aim was to determine the breast cancer screening practices of primary care providers for women at high risk for breast cancer. A multipart questionnaire focused on breast cancer screening practices for high-risk women and perceived risks/benefits of breast cancer screening was administered. Statistical analyses, included descriptive statistics and tests of differences in screening practices and knowledge across key professional characteristics, were conducted. Results: Eight hundred five primary care providers completed the survey (7.7% response). Participants were predominantly female (72.2%); 43.9% were physicians, 11.4% physician assistants, and 44.8% advanced practice registered nurses. One-quarter of providers recommended mammography and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for high-risk women ages 40–49 years. There were no differences in breast MRI recommendations based on years of experience or practice setting. In high-risk women with prior chest radiation and an increased risk of breast cancer, for whom guidelines recommend mammography and MRI, 75.0% of providers recommended mammography, but only 44.3% recommended breast MRI. Recent continuing education on breast cancer screening was associated with providers being more comfortable giving high-risk screening recommendations (p=0.002). Conclusions: Most primary care providers believe mammography is helpful in women at high risk for breast cancer. Less than half of practitioners, however, recommend breast MRI to screen women at high risk for breast cancer, despite guidelines promoting the use of breast MRI. Increased provider education is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine health care plays a central role in health promotion and disease prevention for children and in reducing health disparities. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of routine physical examination among racially and ethnically diverse adolescents at 5 different time points. The study used data from the Minnesota Student Survey. Measures include frequency of physical examination by race/ethnicity, poverty status, and family structure. The analytic sample included 351 510 adolescents (1998, n = 67 239; 2001, n = 69 177; 2004, n = 71 084; 2007, n = 72 312; and 2010, n = 71 698). There were significant differences by racial/ethnic group at each time point. For example, in 2010, never having a physical examination was reported by 9.2% American Indian, 8.7% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 7.0% Hispanic/Latino, 4.3% Black/African American, 3.7% mixed race, and 2.6% of White respondents (P < .001). Patterns of association emerged when the measure of routine physical examination was stratified by poverty and family structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that physician compliance with recommended preventive care guidelines can be improved. Little is known, however, about whether a successful intervention aimed at improving performance applied in one setting will carry over to another. To explore this issue, the authors examined the impact of an intervention involving lecture, feedback, and checklists introduced during an ambulatory care rotation at one hospital (SPR) on resident performance of six preventive care measures at a second outpatient clinic (VA). The performance of 15 residents who had been exposed to the program was compared with that of 13 who had not been exposed to the program. The mean proportion of indicated measures performed by the exposed residents was significantly higher than that of the residents without exposure to the program (0.49 vs. 0.36, p less than 0.05). Improvement was found for all measures but was statistically significant only for influenza vaccination (0.28 vs. 0.07, p = 0.03). Post-intervention performance at SPR was also significantly improved (0.53 vs. 0.36, p less than 0.001). The authors conclude not only that the intervention improved resident performance of preventive care but also that the improvement was carried over to practice in a second outpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As the adult congenital heart disease population increases, poor transition from pediatric to adult care can lead to suboptimal quality of care and an increase in individual and institutional costs. In 2008, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association updated the adult congenital heart disease practice guidelines and in 2011, the American Heart Association recommended transition guidelines to standardize and encourage appropriate timing of transition to adult cardiac services. The objective of this study was to evaluate if patient age or complexity of congenital heart disease influences pediatric cardiologists' decision to transfer care to adult providers and to evaluate the compliance of different types of cardiology providers with current adult congenital heart disease treatment guidelines., Design: A single-center retrospective review of 991 adult congenital heart disease patients identified by ICD-9 code from 2010 to 2012., Setting: Academic and community outpatient cardiology clinics., Patients: Nine hundred ninety-one patients who are 18 years and older with congenital heart disease., Intervention: None., Outcomes Measures: The compliance with health maintenance and transfer of care recommendations in the outpatient setting., Results: For patients seen by pediatric cardiologists, only 20% had transfer of care discussions documented, most often in younger simple patients. Significant differences in compliance with preventative health guidelines were found between cardiology provider types., Conclusion: Even though a significant number of adults with congenital heart disease are lost to appropriate follow-up in their third and fourth decades of life, pediatric cardiologists discussed transfer of care with moderate and complex congenital heart disease patients less frequently. Appropriate transfer of adults with congenital heart disease to an adult congenital cardiologist provides an opportunity to reinforce the importance of regular follow-up in adulthood and may improve outcomes as adult congenital cardiologists followed the adult congenital heart disease guidelines more consistently than pediatric or adult cardiologists., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)