Patient Profiles

Childhood obesity/juvenile type 2 diabetes

Manuel is eleven years old. He is the eldest of three children. His parents, Juan and Isabel, are immigrants and non-native English speakers. Both parents work, and Manuel is responsible for preparing his own lunch and snacks. Often, he chooses meals that are high in carbs and sugar. Additionally, he doesn’t have access to a yard from the family’s apartment, and his mother does not allow him to go outside alone. He often spends afternoons in front of the TV. His weight has steadily increased, and his pants are tight in the waist. At gym class he often becomes tired after only a few minutes of play. He’s recently had increased thirst and frequent urination, both signs of Type 2 diabetes, that concern his parents. They do not have a trusted primary care physician and have been considering taking Manuel to an urgent care clinic to get to the bottom of things.

Mental health/social media example

Margot is a thirteen-year-old girl who grew up dancing and playing sports on various community teams. When she got to middle school, she started using social media and now spends 6-7 hours a day online. Her mother is a single mother who will often have to work late shifts and isn’t home after school to enforce limits on social media use. In the past few months, Margot has become distant, quit her sports teams and no longer wants to take dance classes. Margot is spending less and less time with her friends and more time at home online. Her mother is worried about her but thinks it’s just normal teenage hormones.

Asthma management example

Moe is an eleven year old boy who was diagnosed with asthma when he was six years old. Moe wants to try out for the baseball team with his friends, but his mom is worried about his asthma and limits his physical activity to try to avoid asthma flare ups. He will often complain about his chest feeling tight and wheezing, even with his medication. Moe lives with his mother, father and six-year-old brother in their home that’s currently under renovation. His father is a smoker but says he smokes outside the house. Moe is behind on his well checks and usually only goes to the doctor for sick visits.

Images are models and not actual patients.