The voice of the adolescent: perceptions of general practice and accessing other health care services

Objective To review literature from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom to: gain insight into the adolescent perception of the general practice environment; identify areas of concern that prevent adolescents accessing health care services; and to establish which factors have a negative effect on their general practice experience. Method A thematic analysis was the method selected for this literature review. The articles were read and similar concepts combined to form 18 common themes. These 18 themes were then condensed down to three focal themes: personal, organisational, and external factors. Results Principal areas of concern for adolescents accessing health services and the general practice were confidentiality, privacy and trust. These concerning factors were voiced by adolescents of all ages, both genders and across studies from all four countries. Conclusion A review of the literature has revealed that not all adolescents face problems when using general practice facilities, or have concerns regarding accessing services, but for those that do confidentiality, privacy and trust are the main areas of concern.