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A New Program to Get Adolescents Turning Pages

February 4, 2025

Editor’s Note: Elizabeth Zeichner (she/her) is a former high school teacher. She is a pediatrics resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.-Rachel Y. Moon, MD, Associate Editor, Digital Media, Pediatrics

Many pediatric clinics across the country partner with Reach Out and Read. In this program, which is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children ages newborn to five years old receive a book at the beginning of each primary care well-child visit. However, despite the countless benefits of encouraging reading for all ages, this program does not extend into adolescence.

This week, Pediatrics is early releasing an article, “A Reading Program for Adolescents in a Primary Care Clinic,” by Anoushka Sinha, MD, Elizabeth Ozer, PhD, and Sara Buckelew, MD, from University of California, San Francisco (10.1542/peds.2023-064884). The article, which has an accompanying video abstract, presents a novel program aimed at increasing literacy for adolescents and young adults.

They developed a program, “Turning Pages,” that offers books during annual physicals at the University of California San Francisco Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Clinic. Books were curated by patients and clinicians to create a meaningful, diverse, and inclusive collection, and the authors received funding to purchase and create a book collection. Patients were invited to select a book and then fill out a survey regarding their thoughts on this initiative.

Between May 2023 and January 2024, 295 books were distributed to adolescent patients, and 65 patients completed the survey. Of the survey respondents, 98% appreciated receiving the book, 81% felt it improved their overall clinic experience, and 68% felt more connected to their medical team. Adolescents also provided qualitative comments, many of whom stated their appreciation and excitement surrounding the program.

The authors cite numerous evidence-based benefits of reading, such as opportunities for books to depict diverse experiences, foster a sense of connection, and improve mental health outcomes. They also plan to implement reading in their practices in other ways, such as pairing books with information to engage adolescents with library e-reader apps and community resources. These suggestions provide inspiration for other primary care pediatric clinics to encourage youth of all ages—not just our younger patients—to have fun with reading.

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