Development of a Guidebook for Teens with PCOS
- Identify at least 5 of the 10 learning needs identified by teens with PCOS as most important to be addressed by health care providers
- Describe generally the Interactive Model of Client Health Behavior, by Dr. Cheryl Cox, used in the development of the guidebook
- Utilize the processes learned in this session to develop nursing-based educational materials for clients where there are no commercially available resources.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder affecting up to 10% of females, often first manifesting in teen years. Both the incidence and physiologic impact of PCOS on teens are now being acknowledged. PCOS can be difficult to diagnose based on the variations of individual expression, so it remains an under-diagnosed condition in primary care settings. Because PCOS has a complex etiology and affects so many physiologic and psychosocial aspects of a teen’s life, it is a major challenge for healthcare providers to present all pertinent information to newly diagnosed teens in a single healthcare visit. Subsequently, the educational and emotional needs of teens with PCOS often go unaddressed. Unmet learning needs, as well as the effect on emotional and social well being, are topics reported by teens with PCOS as top-ranked issues of concern. Because there are no known available educational brochures addressing specific needs of teens with PCOS, a guidebook for teens with PCOS was developed. It was evaluated using an online survey to determine readability, perceived usefulness of information and satisfaction among young PCOS reviewers. The reviewers described overall high levels of satisfaction with the guidebook and provided constructive comments that were used to edit and revise the booklet. The intended purpose of the guidebook is to be an introductory resource for healthcare providers to aid in instruction and illustration about PCOS to newly diagnosed teens. It provides self-reflection questions, useful charts, simple diagrams and a reference list for accessing additional reliable educational resources.
Proposed change: Increased understanding of PCOS and its management by affected teens; providing appropriate sources of reliable medical information; ultimately prevention of long-term sequelae of metabolic syndrome and gyn disorders prevalent in this population
Implementation, outcomes and evaluation: Dissemination of guidebook to primary care settings for use with educating of teens with PCOS
Implications for nursing practice: Represents a nursing strategy based on the Cox Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (nursing model) for enhancing learning and client/professional interaction
Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, PCOS, Adolescence, Teens, Obesity, Hirsutism, Acne, Skin disorders, Insulin resistance, Metabolic syndrome,
