Greig Health Record for Young Adults

• Published in: Canadian family physician Vol. 65; no. 8; p. 539
• Main Authors: Greig, Anita Arya, Tellier, Pierre-Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: College of Family Physicians of Canada 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Evidence-based medicine; Medical records; Medical screening; Mental health care; Older people; Preventive medicine; Primary care; Young adults; Canada
• ISSN: 0008-350X; 1715-5258

Objective To describe the Greig Health Record for Young Adults (GHRYA), an evidence-based, peer-reviewed, endorsed guide that can assist providers with age-appropriate screening and counseling. Sources of information A literature search was performed by the librarian from the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto in Ontario. PubMed, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar were searched using the terms young adults, emerging adults, preventive services, prevention, screening, and health promotion. Additional searches were performed using the terms mental health, substance use, addictions, sexual health, bullying, abuse, nutrition, sleep, injury prevention, and physical fitness. A total of 521 articles were identified. Articles retained for review were those relevant to young adults and were population studies, guidelines, and systematic reviews. Main message Recently, there has been a recognition of the unique health care needs of the 18- to 24-year-old age group. Emerging adults have higher risks of health issues including mental illness, substance use, sexually transmitted infections, and risk-taking behaviour. Providing preventive care requires an age-specific approach, especially as contact with health care providers is often infrequent and episodic. Primary care providers who are less familiar with the preventive care needs of young adults can use the GHRYA to guide their interactions with these patients. This new tool is an easy-to-access guide to evidence-based recommendations to be used when patients present to the office or an urgent-care setting and a ready-to-hand place to record prevention strategies when delivered. The tool includes a checklist and 4 pages of resources and recommendations. Conclusion The GHRYA is a peer-reviewed, endorsed guide to the provision of prevention and screening for young adults, which provides an approach to patient care but also evidence-based resources.