The SGA-ER educational intervention in adolescent health care for Italian physicians: goals, content and instructional design

Adolescent medicine is a field dedicated to helping young people grow and thrive, in relation to their particular stage of development. In Italy, adolescent medicine is not a distinct speciality, but it is practised in some services for adolescents in paediatric departments. Increasing educational opportunities in adolescent health may help to accelerate the development and dissemination of new and improved therapeutic approaches for serving youth and also attract a larger cadre of physicians. Other pediatric subspecialties, e.g. oncology, rheumatology and adolescent psychiatry, have developed successfully and may represent excellent models for adolescent medicine specialists to emulate. The Adolescent Health Study Group of the Emilia and Romagna Region (SGA-ER) was established in 2010 in an effort to generate strategies and possible solutions to improve the quality and quantity of knowledge in adolescent health care for pediatricians and GPs. Several methods and approaches have been implemented to improve physicians' skills in adolescent health care. The authors report the goals, content and instructional design of an educational course in adolescent medicine. Alliances with other adolescent health groups may provide an additional opportunity for networking, interaction and exchange of ideas amongst professionals.