Welcome to the training on Teen Consent and Confidentiality provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
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Goal
The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps medical and dental providers and other interested health care professionals to apply legal requirements, best practices and ethical guidelines on consent and confidentiality for adolescent patients.
Target Audience
Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health care professionals.
Specific Learning Objectives
- Specify how and why to establish confidentiality and seek consent or assent when caring for adolescent patients.
- Determine who can give consent for health care for minors, including identifying when teens may consent on their own.
- Apply ethical principles and Texas law when youths engage in risky behaviors, request services that conflict with the provider’s personal values or exhibit signs of abuse or neglect.
- Integrate culturally effective techniques into clinical encounters with adolescents.
Defining terms used in this module: The terms teen, young person, youth and adolescent are used interchangeably to refer to a person in the transition years between childhood and adulthood. Child refers to a person ages 1 through 10 years. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), youth ages 11 through 14 years are in early adolescence, ages 15 through 17 years are in middle adolescence, and ages 18 through 21 are in late adolescence even though youth ages 18 years and older are legally adults. Under Texas law, a minor is a person 17 years or younger who has never been married or declared an adult by a court (emancipated). The term parent includes legal guardians. Consult this module’s Appendix of Resources for links to federal and state laws and policies referenced in the module.
Please note this module expires on 5/18/2026.
This module was released on 5/18/2023.
Continuing Medical Education (Ethics Accredited)
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This course has been designated by The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service for 1.25 credit(s) of education in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility.
Continuing Nursing Education
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.25 contact hour(s) of Continuing Nursing Education.
Social Workers (Ethics Accredited)
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service under sponsor number CS3065 has been approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer continuing education contact hours to social workers. The approved status of The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service expires annually on December 31. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.25 contact hour(s) of Continuing Social Work Education.
This course has been designated by The Texas Department of State Health Services for 1.25 contact hours of education in professional ethics and social work values.
Certificate of Attendance
The Texas Department of State Health Services Continuing Education Program has designated a maximum of 1.25 hour(s) for attendance.
Certified Community Health Worker
The Texas Department of State Health Services, Promotor(a)/Community Health Worker Training and Certification Program has certified this course for 1.25 contact hour(s) of continuing education for Certified Community Health Workers and Community Health Worker Instructors.
One of the requirements of continuing education is disclosure of the following information to the learner:
- Notice of requirements for successful completion of continuing education activity. To receive continuing education credit the learner must successfully complete the following activities:
- Create a Texas Health Steps account.
- Complete on-line registration process.
- Thoroughly read the content of the module.
- Complete the on-line examination.
- Complete the evaluation.
- Commercial Support.
The THSTEPS Web-based Continuing Education Series has received no commercial support. - Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships.
The THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee and the authors of these modules have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. - Non-Endorsement Statement.
Accredited status does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or services by the Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service; Texas Medical Association; or American Nurse Credentialing Center. - Off-Label Use.
Using a disclosure review process, the THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee has examined documents and has concluded that the authors of these modules have not included content that discusses off-label use (use of products for a purpose other than that for which they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration).
The following are policies and definitions of terms related to continuing education disclosure:
The intent of disclosure is to allow Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service the opportunity to resolve any potential conflicts of interest to assure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its Continuing Education activities.
All faculty, planners, speakers and authors of Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service sponsored activities are expected to disclose to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service any relevant financial, relationships with any commercial or personal interest that produces health care goods or services concerned with the content of an educational presentation. Faculty, planners, speakers and authors must also disclose where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Glossary of Terms
Conflict of Interest: Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect Continuing Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which she/he has a financial relationship or where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.
Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
Financial Relationships: Those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. Relevant financial relationships would include those within the past 12 months of the person involved in the activity and a spouse or partner. Relevant financial relationships of your spouse or partner are those of which you are aware at the time of this disclosure.
Off Label: Using products for a purpose other than that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).