By Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD, MPH
Adolescent Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital*
As adolescents move into young adulthood, they take on increasing responsibility for managing their own health care. By teaching your teen the necessary skills over time, this new responsibility will feel less overwhelming, and your teen will be one step closer to “adulting.” Making a medical appointment is a skill that seems simple but can be intimidating, particularly to teens who are “phone call-phobic.”
Start by having your teen make a list of their healthcare providers, including doctors, mental health providers, therapists, dentists, and any others. Encourage or help your teen to add the names, addresses, phone numbers, and web addresses of all providers to their phone contacts so they can easily find them in the future.
