HOW CAN ADOLESCENTS HEALTH NEEDS AND CONCERNS BEST BE MET

Background, A previous survey of letters to 'agony aunts' revealed tha t adolescents have many concerns about their health, Aim, To discover the views of adolescents on a range of issues including the venues whe re they would like to be seen, the doctors they would like to consult, and the subjects they would like to discuss. Method, A questionnaire was distributed to adolescents in a variety of school settings and dis tributed through a popular teenage magazine, Results, A total of 525 r eplies were received. Most adolescents had visited their general pract itioner (GP) in the previous year. Most would prefer to see a teenage health specialist at a venue other than their local surgery, and to ha ve the option of a 'drop-in' service, Responders were worried about a wide range of health issues. They had strong opinions on the type of d octor they would like to consult and the style of surgery they would p refer, Concerns were expressed about confidentiality. Conclusion, In t he short term, surgeries could be made more 'user-friendly' for adoles cents. In the longer term, the authors propose liaison between GPs and paediatricians with a special interest in teenage health to provide a confidential, combined youth service, with ideas on service developme nt based on the expressed wishes of the adolescent population.