Quality Improvement in the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Adolescent Girls.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can be challenging to diagnose in adolescents because the diagnostic criteria for adult women overlap with normal features of pubertal development. Previous studies have highlighted inconsistencies in diagnostic criteria used by health care providers. International consensus groups have introduced recommendations to aid diagnosis of this disorder among adolescents. In this study we explored diagnostic inconsistencies and provided education for providers regarding these consensus recommendations.

DESIGN: Quality improvement.

SETTING: Teaching hospital-affiliated adolescent medicine clinic.

PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent medicine providers (n = 14) participated in the intervention.

INTERVENTIONS: Educational intervention on the basis of the 2015 international consensus recommendations was implemented to address provider inconsistencies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Use of laboratory assessment and documentation for diagnosis of girls evaluated for possible PCOS.

RESULTS: Preintervention, providers used diverse diagnostic criteria including obesity, insulin resistance, mild acne, and minimal hirsutism with no reference to published criteria. Laboratory studies to exclude other disorders were obtained in 24/87 (28%) preintervention patients. Postintervention, the percentage of laboratory studies increased to 40/65 (62%). Oral glucose tolerance tests performed to assess for glycemic comorbidities increased from 6/87 (7%) to 16/65 (25%). After this intervention, providers included more documentation of features associated with PCOS yet did not use "at risk for PCOS" terminology.

CONCLUSION: After our educational intervention, providers showed greater awareness of diagnostic criteria for PCOS in adolescent girls. Medical record documentation and use of "at risk for PCOS" terminology needs improvement. Integration of specific PCOS templates in the electronic medical record might improve medical record documentation and appropriate diagnosis.