Although the average physician works hard educating his patient in good health habits, he seldom has an opportunity to educate the vast majority of adolescents.
This is what Dr. Rafael C. Sanchez, clinical assistant professor at Louisiana State University Medical school, told those attending Tuesday's session of the Institute for Professional Health Educators on Advances in the Health Sciences.
Dr. Sanchez said the reason the physician doesn't get much of an opportunity to educate the adolescent is because most adolescents are healthy and seldom need medical attention.
"This is where you health educators can step in," the physician added, "You can reach these adolescents. I believe it is very important that the physician work in close cooperation with the health educator. These young people need to learn good health habits. They need to protect their health. They need to maintain the good health standards which their parents imposed upon them as children."
Dr. Sanchez said the health educators should get together with the "primary" physician. He said the primary physician "is the doctor who sees the patient first and is aware of his immediate health problems."
In concluding his talk, Dr. Sanchez asked those attending the institute to get together in discussion groups and decide among themselves "how we as primary physicians can help you."
Sessions of the institute, which are being conducted on the sixth floor of the State Office Building, will last through Thursday.
Dr. Fred T. Brown, head of the men's department, health and physical education, University of Southwestern Louisiana, presided at Tuesday's session. Other speakers included John E. Trygg, director of the division of public health engineering, state board of health; Win-born E. Davis, Baton Rouge, mental health program director, State Department of Hospitals, and Dr. Carl P. Adatto, New Orleans psychiatrist.
