Sexual History Documentation in Pediatric Patients with Technology Dependence

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Medicine
• Public Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Physician documentation of adolescent sexual health discussions is crucial for patient care.
• Limited research exists on sexual health documentation rates for technology-dependent adolescents.
• Technology dependence may create unique barriers to comprehensive sexual health discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential treatment gaps in sexual health documentation for technology-dependent adolescents.
• To compare sexual health documentation rates between technology-dependent and non-technology-dependent adolescent populations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of well-child visits for technology-dependent adolescents (enterotomy/tracheostomy dependence, ages 12-19) over 3 years (n=14).
• Comparison with a randomly selected peer group without technology dependence.
• Analysis of documentation for sexual activity, sexual orientation, safe sex and sexually transmitted infection (STI) guidance, and contraception/condom use.

Main Results:

• Technology-dependent adolescents showed lower rates of documentation regarding sexual orientation, safe sex/STI guidance, and contraception/condom use compared to their non-dependent peers.
• These documentation disparities were also observed in the 16- to 19-year age subgroup.
• No significant differences in documentation rates were found based on gender or overall age groups.

Conclusions:

• Technology dependence in adolescents is associated with significant gaps in sexual health documentation.
• Healthcare providers should prioritize comprehensive sexual health discussions and documentation for technology-dependent youth.
• Further research is needed to understand and address these disparities to ensure equitable adolescent sexual healthcare.