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Providers And Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) Program

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The Wisconsin-based Providers and Teens Communicating for Health Program (PATCH), is an innovative, teen-driven educational program that strives to improve communication between health care providers and teens about sensitive health topics such as sexual health, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, or safety; thereby improving the quality of care that the teens receive.

Goal / Mission

PATCH envisions a supportive environment in which all adolescents are able to reach optimal health, safety, and economic security.

MISSION: To improve adolescent health and well being by engaging, educating, and empowering youth and adults as trusted partners in care.

Impact

Health care providers and teens who participate in the PATCH program show significant improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions to seek and provide quality sexual health care.

Results / Accomplishments

The Wisconsin Medical Journal recently published research demonstrating that participating providers and teens experienced significant improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions to seek and provide quality sexual health care. The PATCH program is planning to expand throughout Wisconsin and is working toward replication nationwide.

The power of PATCH comes from the Teen Educators. They become empowered to be advocates on health care issues. They learn to train adults, and not just any adults, but doctors and nurses. The PATCH program sees these skills [not only] getting the results we want in the workshops, but also affecting the rest of their lives. The Teen Educators become natural advocates for their peers and in our community. They have spoken out on other issues such as bullying. PATCH isn't just improving health outcomes for the next generation, they're also creating advocates for the next generation.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health
Primary Contact
Amy Olejniczak
PO Box 1726
Madison, WI 53701
608-251-0139
amy.olejniczak@wiawh.org
http://www.wipatch.org/
Topics
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Organization(s)
Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health
Date of publication
Oct 2015
Date of implementation
11/8/2010
For more details
http://www.wipatch.org/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26726343
Target Audience
Teens
Submitted By
Chelsea Aeschbach

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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