Physicians' values and experience during adolescence. Their effect on adolescent health care

The values and experience of physicians as adolescents can effect their care of adolescent patients. Eighty residents were studied using extensive personal data gathered from a structured interview, a questionnaire of perceived clinical skills, and a videotape with a simulated patient. A "values" and "risk-taking during adolescence" score was constructed and related to the resident's perceived skills for and attitudes about adolescent health care. Residents with higher values scores (more conservative) were more likely to be pediatric than internal medicine residents and less likely to prescribe birth control pills to an adolescent. Residents with higher risk-taking scores considered themselves more skilled in dealing with substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases and in recognizing psychologic problems. Values or risk-taking scores were not related to the resident's perceived skill in areas such as evaluating hypertension or performing Tanner staging. These data suggest that certain values and experiences may be influential in the physician's ability and approach to dealing with certain issues related to adolescent health care.