Counselling the adolescent patient

What the consultation is

This is the care of the adolescent patient, who usually comes to the office with a parent. What the course files put first is confidentiality: adolescent confidentiality is maintained, the issue is addressed privately with the patient, and the work is education and follow-up rather than immediate disclosure to the parents.

The case that shows why the private examination matters

A 16-year-old adolescent boy and his father come to the office. The boy has been vomiting all morning and has had some stomach pain. He describes feeling shaky and says he has a headache. When he is examined privately, he admits, unbeknownst to his parents, that he was drinking alcohol heavily the previous night. Other than slight dehydration, the physical examination findings are normal.

It is the father who requests treatment options for his son.

What to suggest is that the son arrange a follow-up appointment to discuss the effect of alcohol consumption on his health.

He said it only because he was examined privately. That is the whole point of the item, and the answer keeps the confidence rather than using it up: the boy is given a further visit of his own, and the father is not told.