Information on a shoestring: a practical database at an adolescent pregnancy program

Adolescent pregnancy programs provide services to a socially high risk population with complex and continuing needs. Data describing the characteristics of the patient population is useful for directing program efforts, examining program outcomes, and documenting the need for additional services. The Rochester Adolescent Maternity Program has developed a simple, inexpensive data collection system in which demographic, social and reproductive information is routinely collected on all program patients. Such a system could be of use to other adolescent maternity programs.