If your child or teen has a chronic (ongoing) condition, chronic disease management can help reduce symptoms and flare-ups. Adolescent medicine specialists provide primary health care for youth with chronic conditions.
Chronic disease management uses an integrated care approach to improve your child’s well-being. It may include screenings, checkups, monitoring, and coordinating treatment among your child’s care providers.
When your child receives regular treatment for chronic disease, it can help improve their quality of life and, in some cases, reduce the impact of the chronic condition on everyday life. Chronic conditions that may need ongoing management include:
- Asthma
- Cerebral palsy
- Complications related to having been born premature, including chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity, nephropathy of prematurity, and developmental delays
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Mental illness
- Obesity
- Spina bifida
Tests
Blood or urine tests
Blood or urine tests help doctors diagnose and monitor the progress of a chronic condition.
Imaging tests
Noninvasive imaging tests — such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, or computerized tomography (CT) — help doctors diagnose or check the status of a chronic illness.
Treatments
Regular checkups
Your child is seen by their pediatrician and any needed sub-specialists on a regular basis. During the checkups, the doctor examines your child, asks questions about their health, and evaluates the progression or symptoms.
Therapy
Your child may need to undergo physical, occupational, or another type of therapy to help reduce symptoms, depending on the condition.
Counseling
Your child’s doctor may recommend a counselor or therapist to help your child learn how to cope with having a chronic disease. Counseling can give your child an opportunity to talk about how they feel and get advice to improve their emotional well-being.
Medications
Doctors often prescribe medications to control symptoms and help your child feel better.
Surgery
Depending on your child’s condition and situation, the doctor may recommend surgery to help manage symptoms.
Why Choose UHealth?
Treating young patients from all over the world. Children and their families come from all over the world to receive quality care, compassionately delivered by outstanding pediatric specialists and other skilled medical professionals within our facilities.
Recognized for excellence in care. We have received the “Best Practice” designation from the Florida Department of Health and its Miami-Dade County branch for HIV testing and treatment services for 13 to 24-year-olds with the HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Some of our doctors have also earned the “Best Doctor in America” recognition from the American Health Council.
Top-notch care in an academic health system. Backed by one of the nation’s top universities, our team uses the latest technologies and research-driven expertise to provide your child with superior, personalized care and the best outcomes possible. We’re the only academic health center in South Florida with developmental and behavioral pediatric specialists on staff.
Involvement with research and education. Members of our adolescent medicine team are also involved in research and education, allowing us to offer the latest, innovative treatments sooner than other facilities in South Florida. We have a 24-year continual experience with national research projects concerning HIV infection in youth, adolescent sexual health, and prevention of STDs in teenagers. We’re also involved in national collaborations concerning injury prevention and health promotion.
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