The Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS): providers' assessment of its usefulness in their clinical practice settings.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to evaluate health providers' use of the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) screening tool to identify adolescent high-risk behaviors, its ease of use and efficiency, and its impact on provider/patient discussions of sensitive risk behaviors.

METHOD

This mixed methods descriptive study used an online survey to assess providers' use of the RAAPS and their perspectives on its implementation and effect on adolescent-provider communication. The survey was completed by providers from a variety of settings across the United States (N = 201).

RESULTS

Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that the RAAPS facilitated identification of risk behaviors and risk discussions and provided efficient and consistent assessments; 86% of providers believed that the RAAPS positively influenced their practice.

DISCUSSION

Adoption of the RAAPS in practice settings could lead to more effective adolescent preventive services by giving providers a tool to systematically assess and identify adolescents at risk. Implementation of RAAPS offers health providers an efficient, consistent, and "adolescent friendly" way to identify risky behaviors and open the discussion needed to tailor interventions to meet their needs.