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AAP Guidelines: School-based health clinics

Introduction

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly believes that all children and adolescents should have access to high quality health care services. Ideally, each child should have a "medical home" where care could be provided in a continuous and comprehensive fashion. The Academy, however, supports the selecive implementation of school-based health clinic programs in areas-where the health care needs of the school, age population are not being met.

The major morbidities of adolescence, which often have their antecedents in preadolescence, may have serious immediate and long-term consequences. These problems, which are physical and behavioral, have been extremely difficult to address because of their complex origins, and lack of simple solutions. The delivery of services to adolescents with such problems is often frustrated by issues of confidentiality, consent and compliance. Furthermore, these issues are emotionally, morally and politically charged, often paralyzing efforts to establish intervention and prevention programs. The adolescent population, therefore, may derive particular benefits from access to care through school-based health clinics.