Documentation of Sexual and Menstrual Histories for Adolescent Patients in the Inpatient Setting

Current Inpatient Screening Practices for Sexual History and STIs: An Opportunity to Seize

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends utilizing hospitalizations as an opportunity to provide sexual health screenings for adolescents. This study aimed to describe the current practice of sexual history documentation (SHxD) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing among adolescents admitted to a pediatric hospital medicine service. Retrospective cross-sectional study of adolescents (14-19 years old) admitted to the PHM service from 2017-2019 was performed at an academic children's health system. Patient (demographics, history of complex chronic condition, and insurance), hospitalization (length of stay, diagnosis, STI tests ordered/results), and physician (level of training and gender) characteristics were extracted for each encounter. A natural language processing algorithm identified the presence of SHxD. Univariate analysis and multivariable analysis were performed to detect factors associated with SHxD and STI screening. The prevalence of STIs was calculated for those who were tested. Out of 2242 encounters, SHxD and STI testing rates were 40.9% and 17.2%, respectively. Patient gender, race, lack of complex chronic condition, and resident involvement were predictive of SHxD and STI testing. SHxD increased the odds of STI testing significantly (OR 5.06, CI 3.90-6.58). Among those who were tested, the prevalence of STIs was highest for chlamydia (37/329, 11.2%). Overall, sexual health screening rates remain low in the hospital setting and future improvement initiatives are needed.

Quality Improvement: A Template-Based Approach to HEADSS Assessments for Hospitalized Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Hospitalizations are opportunities to screen adolescents for risk behaviors, but screening occurs infrequently. At our institution, adolescent inpatients on pediatric services have an array of medical acuity and complexity, and only 11% had complete home; education; activities; drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; sexual history; and self-harm, suicidality, and mood (HEADSS) histories. The aim of this quality improvement project was to increase the HEADSS completion rate to 31% within 8 months of the initial Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle.

METHODS

A working group identified key drivers of incomplete HEADSS histories. Interventions focused on creating and modifying note templates to encourage providers to obtain and document HEADSS histories, sharing data with providers, and educating providers. The primary outcome measure was the percent of patients with a complete HEADSS history. Process measures included use of a confidential note, documentation of a sexual history, and number of domains documented. The balancing measure was patients with no social history documented.

RESULTS

A total of 539 admissions were included, 212 in the baseline period and 327 in the intervention period. The percent of patients with a complete HEADSS history increased from 11% to 39%. Use of a confidential note increased from 14% to 38%, documentation of a sexual history increased from 18% to 44%, and average number of domains documented increased from 2.2 to 3.3. The number of patients with no social history documented was unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

A quality improvement initiative using note templates can significantly increase the rate of complete HEADSS history documentation in the inpatient setting.

The Hospitalized Adolescent

This clinical report provides pediatricians evidence-based information on the developmentally appropriate, comprehensive clinical care for hospitalized adolescents. Included in this report are opportunities and challenges facing pediatricians when caring for specific hospitalized adolescent populations. The companion policy statement, “The Hospitalized Adolescent,” includes detailed descriptions of adolescent hospital admission demographics, personnel recommendations, and hospital setting and design advice, as well as sections on educational services, legal and ethical matters, and transitions to adult facilities.

A method to advance adolescent sexual health research: Automated algorithm finds sexual history documentation

Background:

We aimed to develop and validate a rule-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm to detect sexual history documentation and its five key components [partners, practices, past history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), protection from STIs, and prevention of pregnancy] among adolescent encounters in the pediatric emergency and inpatient settings.

Methods

We iteratively designed a NLP algorithm using pediatric emergency department (ED) provider notes from adolescent ED visits with specific abdominal or genitourinary (GU) chief complaints. The algorithm is composed of regular expressions identifying commonly used phrases in sexual history documentation. We validated this algorithm with inpatient admission notes for adolescents. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and F1 score of the tool in each environment using manual chart review as the gold standard.

Results

In the ED test cohort with abdominal or GU complaints, 97/179 (54%) provider notes had a sexual history documented, and the NLP algorithm correctly classified each note. In the inpatient validation cohort, 97/321 (30%) admission notes included a sexual history, and the NLP algorithm had 100% sensitivity and 98.2% specificity. The algorithm demonstrated >97% sensitivity and specificity in both settings for detection of elements of a high quality sexual history including protection used and contraception. Type of sexual practice and STI testing offered were also detected with >97% sensitivity and specificity in the ED test cohort with slightly lower performance in the inpatient validation cohort.

Conclusion

This NLP algorithm automatically detects the presence of sexual history documentation and its key components in ED and inpatient settings.

Adolescent Risk Behavior Screening and Interventions in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review

CONTEXT

Risky behaviors are the main threats to adolescents' health; consequently, evidence-based guidelines recommend annual comprehensive risk behavior screening.

OBJECTIVE

To review studies of adolescent risk behavior screening and interventions in urgent care, emergency department (ED), and hospital settings.

DATA SOURCES

Our data sources included PubMed (1965-2019) and Embase (1947-2019).

STUDY SELECTION

Studies were included on the basis of population (adolescents aged 10-25 years), topic (risk behavior screening or intervention), and setting (urgent care, ED, or hospital). Studies were excluded if they involved younger children or adults or only included previously identified high-risk adolescents.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data extracted were risk behavior screening rates, screening and intervention tools, and attitudes toward screening and intervention.

RESULTS

Forty-six studies were included; most (38 of 46) took place in the ED, and a single risk behavior domain was examined (sexual health [19 of 46], mood and suicidal ideation [12 of 46], substance use [7 of 46], and violence [2 of 46]). In 6 studies, authors examined comprehensive risk behavior screening, demonstrating low rates at baseline (∼10%) but significant increases with clinician reminder implementation. Adolescents and clinicians were highly accepting of risk behavior screening in all settings and preferred electronic screening over a face-to-face interview. Reported barriers were time constraints and limited resources.

LIMITATIONS

Only 1 included study was a randomized controlled trial, and there was large heterogeneity of included studies, potentially limiting generalizability.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of adolescent risk behavior screening are low in urgent care, ED, and hospital settings. Our findings outline promising tools for improving screening and intervention, highlighting the critical need for continued development and testing of interventions in these settings to improve adolescent care.

High-risk Behavior Screening and Interventions in Hospitalized Adolescents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Risky behaviors are the main threats to adolescents' health. Consequently, guidelines recommend adolescents be screened annually for high-risk behaviors. Our objectives were to (1) determine rates of physician-documented risk behavior screening of hospitalized adolescents, (2) determine rates of positive screening results, and (3) evaluate associations between risk behavior screening and provision of risk behavior-related health care interventions.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients aged 12 to 24 years admitted to the pediatric hospital medicine service at an urban tertiary children's hospital from January to December 2018. Exclusion criteria were transfer to a different service, nonverbal status, or altered mental status. We reviewed 20 charts per month. Outcomes included (1) documentation of risk behavior screening (mood, sexual activity, substance use, abuse and/or violence, and suicidal ideation), and (2) risk behavior-related health care interventions (eg, testing for sexually transmitted infections). We determined associations between screening and risk behavior-related interventions using χ² tests.

RESULTS

We found that 38% (90 of 240) of adolescents had any documented risk behavior screening, 15% (37 of 240) had screening in 4 of 5 risk behavior domains, and 2% (5 of 240) had screening in all 5 domains. The majority of screened adolescents had a positive screening result (66%), and most with positive results received a risk behavior-related health care intervention (64%-100% across domains). Adolescents with documented screening were significantly more likely to receive a risk behavior-related health care intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

We found low rates of risk behavior screening documentation among hospitalized adolescents. There was a high rate of positive screen results, and those who were documented as screened were more likely to receive risk behavior-related interventions.