If you’re the parent of a ‘tween or teen, chances are you’ve been asked to leave the room during your child’s visit to the doctor so they can have a private chat.
Now of course I believe that teenagers should have a trusting relationship with their doctors. But while I’m sitting there alone in the waiting room, watching the younger mommies bounce babies on their knees, I can’t help but wonder what my kids are telling the doctor behind that closed door.
See, I’m a nosy mom, and if something’s going on with my children’s health, I want to hear about it. I mean, if your kid was suicidal, or a heroin addict, and somehow you didn’t know it, would the doctor tell you?
Turns out the answer is yes. “If we are concerned that someone is in danger, we are compelled to share that information,” said Dr. Joseph Hagan, who is part of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures initiative to improve children’s health.
But Hagan emphasized that giving kids a chance to speak privately with doctors “is not about secrecy. It’s about autonomy. A 16-year-old should begin to ask his own questions about his health.”
In fact, if your pediatrician doesn’t ask you to leave the room during teen visits, maybe he or she should. “The pediatrician should spend most of the office visit alone with the adolescent,” according to Dr. David Tayloe, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It’s very important for teenagers to have confidential conversations with their pediatricians.”
Tayloe said “the emphasis on confidential appointments for adolescents has become more the norm over the last 10 years.”
