PATTERNS OF ICD-9 DIAGNOSES AMONG ADOLESCENTS USING SCHOOL-BASED CLINICS - DIAGNOSTIC CATEGORIES BY SCHOOL LEVEL AND GENDER

Purpose: Understanding utilization patterns in school clinics is impor tant in discerning potential health outcomes among adolescents. This s tudy reports on high-middle school and gender differences in ICD-9 dia gnostic codes for students using Baltimore school clinics in the acade mic year 1989-90. Methods: 12,953 visits resulted in 17,241 individual diagnoses. Data were grouped into 17 major diagnostic categories, sub categories for reproductive health and mental health, and 20 sentinel diagnoses. Results: Reproductive health diagnoses were most common for high school clinics (28% of all diagnoses). Mental health (psychosoci al) diagnoses were most common for middle school clinics (30%). Adoles cent women were much more likely to use clinics for reproductive healt h care needs than adolescent men. Adolescent men and women used the cl inics with equal frequency for mental health, although specific diagno ses varied considerably by gender. Conclusions: This overview of diagn ostic patterns among adolescents using Baltimore's school-based clinic s provides a unique view of differences in health care needs between y ounger and older teens and between male and female teens. These data h ave meaningful implications for clinic staffing and enhanced outreach efforts.