Adolescent and young adult medicine is a special and specific area of medical practice
Abstract
Adolescent and young adult medicine is a concept that has gained traction in the last decade or so. The medical literature has come primarily from oncology. Advances in neuroscience that document continuing brain development into the third decade, and research that shows risk behaviours associated with adolescence both remain and may increase in the third decade, have been two of the drivers in the conversation around linking these two age groups together as a medical practice group. A third driver of importance is transition care in chronic illness, where older adolescents and young adults continue to have difficulties making effective linkages with adult care. The case for specific training in adolescent and young adult medicine, including the developmental concepts behind it, the benefits of the delineation and the particular challenges in the Australian health‐care system, are discussed. On balance, there is a strong case for managing the health issues of adolescents and young adults together. This scenario does not fit easily with the age demarcations that are in place in acute care facilities. However, this is less the case in community services and can work in focused private practice. Such a situation suggests that both paediatric and adult physicians might be interested in adolescent and young adult medicine training and practice.
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Especially in treatment situations, adolescents can demonstrate seemingly decreased competence for responsible decisions.
“Especially in treatment situations, adolescents can demonstrate this type of seemingly decreased competence for responsible decisions [42].”
From Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: developmental and neuroscientific aspects (2017) · cites this paper as [42]
Adolescence is a time in which health behavior can be stimulated to consolidate, or when behavior can easily be altered, if the adolescent is motivated to do so.
“In addition, adolescence is a time in which health behavior can be stimulated to consolidate, or when behavior can easily be altered, if the adolescent is motivated to do so [42].”
From Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: developmental and neuroscientific aspects (2017) · cites this paper as [42]
Adolescence offers an opportunity to target health behavior and disease management and teach the brain new behavior.
“Therefore, adolescence offers an opportunity to target health behavior and disease management and teach the brain new behavior [42, 58].”
From Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: developmental and neuroscientific aspects (2017) · cites this paper as [42]
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Medical decision-making in children and adolescents: developmental and neuroscientific aspects
Grootens-Wiegers, P., Hein, I. M., van den Broek, J. M., & de Vries, M. C. (2017) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s12887-017-0869-x · Cited by 357 · see citing works
“an opportunity to target health behavior and disease management and teach the brain new behavior [42, 58].”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Steinbeck, K., Towns, S., & Bennett, D.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Steinbeck, Kate
- ORCID
- Steinbeck, Kate
- Venue
- Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-02-19
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 427-431
- ISSN
- 1034-4810 (ISSN-L)
- 1440-1754
- OpenAlex
- W2166302033
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Child and Adolescent Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Keywords
- adolescent brain development, care transitions, chronic disease, risk-taking, specialist training, Australian health system, community-based care, private practice
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Medicine, Age Factors, Aging, Australia, Delivery of Health Care, Humans, Medicine, Physician-Patient Relations, Practice Patterns, Physicians', World Health Organization, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Risk Assessment, Disease Management, Young Adult, Precision Medicine
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