Current Projects

Studying Models of Interdisciplinary Care

The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health is studying examples of interdisciplinary care for adolescents in different practice settings: community health centers, office-based practices, hospital ambulatory clinics, and school health clinics. We are examining practice characteristics, staffing arrangements, and payment mechanisms that facilitate outreach and involvement of adolescents, interdisciplinary care, health promotion, and youth development.

Ensuring the Effectiveness of Health Reform Implementation

The National Alliance is assessing opportunities and challenges in health reform implementation for adolescents. We are working with our partner organizations to ensure that benefit packages, payment reforms, quality standards, and training innovations meet the needs of low-income and minority adolescents. In addition, we are planning an invitational conference to develop a research agenda for an adolescent-centered medical home.

Promoting Youth Involvement

To benefit from the experiences and strengths of adolescents themselves, we are working to promote an expanded role for adolescents in outreach, health education, and primary care, and transition planning. We have elicited adolescent views and will be studying the impacts of adolescent leadership in primary and preventive care.

Identifying State Policies to Improve Adolescent Care

The National Alliance is examining opportunities for improving Medicaid and CHIP financing of comprehensive preventive and primary care services for adolescents. Through careful analysis of state policies, we are identifying feasible state strategies for improving the model of care for adolescents, particularly through EPSDT and medical or health home innovations.

Building Effective Health Care Transition Policies and Practices

To improve health care transition from pediatric to adult health care for adolescents with special needs, The National Alliance is conducting physician surveys, focus groups, and a learning collaborative with primary care practices. We are also studying state innovations and developing standards for measuring effective health care transition.