Young Adult Preventive Health Care Guidelines

Abstract

Objectives: To (1) identify adolescent and adult clinical preventive services guidelines relevant to the young adult age group; (2) review, compare, and synthesize these guidelines, with emphasis on the extent to which professional guidelines are consistent with evidence-based guidelines developed by the US Preventive Services Task Force; and (3) recommend the next steps in the establishment and integration of preventive care guidelines for young adults. Design: Nonexperimental: an Internet search was conducted to identify relevant preventive care guidelines for the young adult group. Setting: The search included federal agencies and professional organizations that focus on health areas linked to the care of young adults or that provide health care to adolescents and young adults. Participants: National organizations, federal agencies, health professional associations, and medical societies. Main Outcome Measures: Preventive services guidelines for adolescents and adults that intersect with the age range of 18 to 26 years. Results: When the ages of 18 to 26 years are carved out of established professional guidelines across specialty groups, there is a broad number of recommendations, with many supported by sufficient evidence to receive a US Preventive Services Task Force grade of A or B that can inform the care of young adults. Conclusions: We recommend the establishment of young adult preventive health guidelines that reflect the current evidence-based recommendations that overlap with the young adult age group; we suggest clinician and health care system supports to facilitate the delivery of preventive services to young adults; and we emphasize prioritizing research in prevention areas in which sufficient evidence does not exist.

Childhood to adult transition and long-term follow-up after blood and marrow transplantation

“…76 Their guidelines can be applied to all age groups but pertain to the general population. 77 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and others have jointly recommended system/organ-based screening and preventive practices for BMT long-term survivors.…”

Health Outcomes in Young Adults From Foster Care and Economically Diverse Backgrounds

“…Quantitative and qualitative research should be conducted to better delineate the specific types of care these youth receive (and lack), the continuity and quality of provider relationships they experience, and the degree to which they receive evidence-based care for chronic medical conditions during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. Current and former foster youth may benefit from a level of preventive health care beyond that which is recommended for general population youth, 32,33 including strategies to promote access to state-of-the-art interventions targeting modifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as diet, exercise, and smoking cessation. Training and resources for caseworkers, foster parents, and group home staff emphasizing the importance of continuity and quality of health care provider relationships in addition to timely access may also be beneficial.…”

The Affordable Care Act and implications for young adult health

“…Additionally, a recent review of preventive guidelines found that no specific guidelines exist for young adults, even though their developmental needs are markedly different from those of adolescents or older adults [21]. Primary care services should be reimbursed for preventive visits and should have care PRACTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES goals for young adults that include routine preventive screenings [21].…”

“…This critical issue has been addressed in recent legislative efforts to improve access to and quality of health care for all Americans. Many key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) expand health insurance coverage options for young adults (ages [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] [2]. The ACA is a strong initial attempt to provide increased insurance coverage for young adults; however, the current provisions of the ACA are inadequate to address some of the systemic issues related to health care access and utilization among young adults.…”