Intervening to reach adolescents and affect health

University Of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Assessing the health status of adolescents is challenging for health care providers. Adolescents identify "being there" as an important quality of the health care provider. Personal disclosure has been associated with improved health outcomes. "Being there", to query the unfolding health story, offers opportunities for meaningful health encounters. The overall objective of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effect of story-centered care conducted by an advanced practice nurse in an urgent care setting. Attentively Embracing Story, a middle range nursing theory, guides the advanced practice nursing intervention. The study's specific aims are: 1) to compare story-centered care and standard care on adolescent word-use difference during urgent care visits from an initial to a follow-up visit; 2) to analyze the difference in words adolescents use to describe a pressing concern after the initial health care visit, 3) to compare subjective health status difference over time from the initial to follow-up visit, and 4) to explore gender and ethnic differences in these outcomes. Study instruments include the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative (screening tool that addresses perception of health status) and the Health Status Questionnaire (a standardized assessment of functional status and well being). Word analysis will be conducted using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program (word based computerized text analysis program). Acculturation status will be measured by a five-item General Acculturation Index scale (GAI), which is especially suited for Hispanic subjects.