Background: Adolescents require specialized clinical services, advances in scientific knowledge and increased specialized training in this field. Previous data demonstrated unmet health needs among adolescents around the world. Adolescent Medicine (AM) is an emerging field in Israel. An assessment of the status of AM in North America may direct the development of such programs in Israel
Methods: In collaboration with the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, we developed a survey, based on recommendations from the Committee on Adolescent Health Care Services. Thirty-two division directors of AM academic programs were included. Areas assessed included vision and mission; clinical services; community collaborations; educational opportunities; academic activities; and successes and challenges experienced.
Results: 23/32 (72%) programs completed the survey. Themes in the vision statements: providing multidisciplinary, innovative care for adolescents, youth empowerment and training care providers. Patient population: ages 12-18 (range 0-27), mean 27%males (range 5-60%). Common reasons patients scheduled visits include reproductive health, primary care and eating disorders. The three most common inpatient admission diagnoses are eating disorders, menorrhagia and PID. The top three reported challenges included resources for conducting research, recruitment of faculty and finances. The top reported successes involved training, eating disorder treatment, and care for underserved populations.
Conclusions: AM programs provide a spectrum of services including primary/subspecialty care, research, training and advocacy. Information sharing and dissemination of these data will facilitate the development of programs, create new knowledge about opportunities for AM in Israel, raise public awareness of adolescent health services, and assist those seeking training.
