In Illinois, only 48% of adolescents ages 12 – 21 years, who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP insurance plans, had at least one comprehensive well-care visit 1. Yearly well-care visits during adolescence promote healthy behaviors, prevent risky ones, and detect conditions that can interfere with physical, social, and emotional development.
According to the Youth Risk Behavorial Survey Results 2, in 2021 in Illinois...
- 42% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks or more in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities.
- Approximately 1 in 4 high school students currently drank alcohol.
- 48% of high school students reported completing the recommended 1 hour of physical activity 5 days of the week.
- 15.6% of high school students had obesity. Having obesity can increase health problems and may contribute to type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
- 27.5% of high school students reported engaging in sexual intercourse.
A yearly well-care visit allows for a trusted healthcare professional to discuss and address these potential issues, and to help set the adolescent up for a lifetime of good health.
Unlike a sports physical, a yearly well-care visit is comprehensive, and typically includes a health history and physical exam, vision and hearing screenings, immunizations and vaccines, and overall physical health.
Time For A Wellness Visit has information on yearly well-care visits.
The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend that adolescents conduct a yearly well-care visit with screening and anticipatory guidance for health-related behaviors. Although CUPHD does not provide yearly well-care visits, Health Educators in the Adolescent Health Program here at CUPHD provide many services to adolescents ages 12 – 21 years within our Teen and Adult Services Clinic. These services are provided in addition to the main reason for their clinic visit, be it STD testing, family planning services, or another service.
After seeing a nurse, the adolescent patient meets with a Health Educator to review their depression and substance use screenings. The Health Educator is able to make referrals to other services if necessary. As needed, the Health Educator will also provide the patient with education and/or assistance with the following:
