Teens and Parents Like School-Based Health Centers

School-based health centers make good medical homes for teens, a new survey finds. Researchers questioned about 500 teens who visited a school-based health center in Denver, Colorado. They wanted to know which services they used. Researchers also asked parents what they thought about the care their teens received at the centers. About one-third of teens said that a school-based health center was their main source of medical care. The top 3 reasons for visits were for illnesses (78%), vaccines (69%) and education about sexual health (63%). Parents liked the centers because they provided lots of services, they were convenient and they didn’t pay a fee. Based on the survey results, the researchers conclude that school-based health centers play an important role in communities where medical care is limited.