Heavy menstrual bleeding clinics for adolescents

Heavy men strual bleed ing (HMB) is a com mon symp tom in ado les cence, often lead ing to sig nifi cant dis rup tions in daily life, such as school absences, shame caused by the stigma surrounding men stru a tion, and symp toms from iron defi ciency. Further, HMB may be the first and/or only sign of an under ly ing bleed ing dis or der. Navigating the symp toms, effects, and treat ments of HMB dur ing ado les cence requires a col lab o ra tive approach between the patient, care giv ers, and healthcare pro vid ers. This work can be effec tively and effi ciently conducted in inter dis ci plin ary clin ics, where patients see hematology, gynecology, and adolescent providers. In these settings, healthcare providers exchange knowledge and expertise, after which they can reach a consensus for diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic intervention. Development and implementation of an inter dis ci plin ary hema tol ogy and gyne col ogy clinic can be chal leng ing; how ever, the cru cial ratio nale is that established clin ics improve patient out comes. Using an exam ple inter dis ci plin ary ado les cent clinic, we out line the crit i cal com po nents needed to exe cute a suc cess ful clinic for ado les cents with HMB and share key takeaways.