The Adolescent Well Visit
Comparison of the Adolescent Well Care Visit and Pre-participation Physical Evaluation was created through a partnership between the Oregon Health Authority and the
Oregon School Activities Association to help organizations understand the differences between the Adolescent Well Care Visit (AWV) and the Pre-participation Physical Evaluation (PPE), also known as a “sports physical.” These organizations include Oregon’s school districts, schools, athletic departments, school-based health centers, adolescent primary care providers, private insurers and coordinated care organizations. The AWV and PPE serve student athletes in different ways:
- The AWV has a stronger sense of development and overall health and well-being.
- The PPE has focused screening for medical conditions or injuries (primarily cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, respectively) which may be worsened by athletic activity (a sample PPE form has been included on pages 9-11).
This publication emphasizes that schools and providers should encourage student athletes to complete both evaluations as recommended. There is enough overlap between the two methods that a health care provider could complete both assessments at the same time. The document provides points of comparison to maximize coordination in parental involvement, the health information sought during a pre-visit questionnaire, and the physical exam. It shares recommendations for providers on modifying an AWV or PPE to include elements of both. This coordination will help limit a student’s absence from school and sports, and will ensure exams cover all aspects of a student’s health during an Adolescent Well Care visit or sports physical.
Youth’s Experience of Care: Findings from Youth Listening Sessions
Youth Listening Sessions Report (pdf)
This report outlines findings from youth listening sessions held in Umatilla and Jackson Counties in the Fall of 2015. Youth provided their perspective on:
- Why they do and do not access preventive health services
- Recommendations for improving health care for youth
Findings from the youth listening sessions have been used to inform program development and grant priorities.
If you have questions, please contact Liz Thorne, MPH, Adolescent Health Policy & Assessment Specialist,
elizabeth.k.thorne@dhsoha.state.or.us, 971-673-0377.
Healthy People 2020
The “Healthy People” Initiative has provided science-based, 10 year national objectives to improve the health of Americans for the past 3 decades. Healthy People 2020 continues this tradition with a set of national priorities that strive to:
- Increase public awareness of the determinants of health and disease, and opportunities for progress.
- Provide measurable objectives and goals that are applicable on the national, State, and local level.
- Engage multiple sectors to take action to strengthen policies and practices driven by the evidence-bases.
For the first time in 30 years, Adolescent Health has been defined as its own topic area. The topic area is made up of 11 objectives and 24 measures. New areas of focus include youth development, schools and education, and youth aggression and victimization.
Get more information on the Healthy People 2020 objectives.
Informational Briefs
All briefs are in PDF format
The Choking Game: A Fact Sheet for Parents and Teachers
This fact sheet provides data from 2009 on the awareness of and participation in the choking game among 8th graders in Oregon. It reviews the signs and symptoms of participation in youth, and outlines important messages and steps parents, teachers and other adults can do to help prevent participation in this dangerous activity.
Choking Game Fact Sheet (pdf)