Outcomes of transitional care programs on adolescent chronic inflammatory systemic diseases: systematic review and meta-analyses

Changes in health-related quality of life during transition to adult healthcare: an international prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To study changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic medical conditions across the transfer to adult healthcare and associations of HRQoL with transition readiness and experience of care.

METHODS

Participants in this international (Finland, Australia) prospective cohort study were recruited in the year prior to transfer to adult health services and studied 12 months later. In addition to two HRQoL scales (Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL), 16D), the Am I ON TRAC for Adult Care Questionnaire and Adolescent Friendly Hospital Survey measured transition readiness and experience of care and categorised by quartile. Data were compared before and after transfer to adult healthcare.

RESULTS

In total, 512 AYAs completed the first survey (0-12 months before transfer of care) and 336 AYAs completed it 1 year later (retention rate 66%, mean ages 17.8 and 18.9 years, respectively). Mean total PedsQL scores (76.5 vs 78.3) showed no significant change, although the social and educational subdomains improved after transfer of care. The mean single-index 16D score remained the same, but in Finland, distress increased and the ability to interact with friends decreased after transfer. AYAs within the best quartiles of experience of care and transition readiness had better HRQoL than AYAs within the worst quartiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall HRQoL of AYAs remained unchanged across the transfer to adult healthcare. Recognising and supporting AYAs with unsatisfactory experience of care and poor transition readiness could improve overall HRQoL during the transition process.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04631965.

Effects of transition programmes to adulthood for adolescents and young adults with CHD: a systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The increased survival rate among individuals with CHD has sparked interest in their transition to adult healthcare. Although there is a general agreement on the importance of transition interventions, the empirical evidence supporting them is insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of transition interventions for adult healthcare in adolescents and young adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A literature search was conducted for studies comparing the quantitative effects of transition interventions with control groups, published up to March 15, 2023, in major databases (CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, KISS, and KMbase), major clinical trial registries, academic journal sites related to the topic, and grey literature databases. Ten studies involving a total of 1,297 participants were identified. Transition interventions proved effective in enhancing disease-related knowledge (Hedge's g = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.29-1.48) and self-management (Hedge's g = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.38-0.95), as well as reducing loss to follow-up (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22-0.77). The certainty of evidence for the estimated values of each major outcome was low or very low.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the implementation of transition interventions by demonstrating that they can improve patients' disease knowledge and self-management, while also promoting treatment continuity. However, since the available data on transition interventions for adolescents and young adults with CHD remain limited, the widespread adoption of structured transition interventions in the future may alter the conclusions of this study.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO. Unique identifier: CRD42023399026.

Transition From Pediatric to Adult Rheumatology Care: An Exploratory Study From Latin America

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Adequate transition from pediatric to adult care is associated with better adherence to treatment and better outcomes in pediatric patients with chronic diseases. There are little data on transition programs, outcomes, use of transition guidelines, and available tools in pediatric rheumatology centers from Latin America (LATAM). In this study, we described the characteristics of transition programs from 3 pediatric rheumatology centers. We also introduced results of the first survey examining the transition experience in countries from LATAM.

METHODS

The experience and implementation process of transition programs from 3 pediatric rheumatology centers were described. A survey based on a questionnaire created by Chira et al (J Rheumatol. 2014;41:768-779) from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance was also administrated to pediatric rheumatology centers from LATAM.

RESULTS

A total of 49 (68%) pediatric rheumatologists answered the survey. Most centers do not have an official and written transition program and reported a need for more tools and resources in their services to facilitate the transition experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Transition guidelines culturally tailored to developing countries are needed in LATAM.

Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic, immune-mediated disorders that include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. A pediatric onset of disease occurs in about 10% of all cases. Clinical presentation of IBD with rectal bleeding or perianal disease warrants direct referral for endoscopic evaluation. In the absence of red-flag symptoms, a combination of patient history and blood and fecal biomarkers can help to distinguish suspected IBD from other causes of abdominal pain or diarrhea. The therapeutic management of pediatric IBD has evolved by taking into account predictors of poor outcome, which justifies the upfront use of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for patients at high risk for complicated disease. In treating patients with IBD, biochemical or endoscopic remission, rather than clinical remission, is the therapeutic goal because intestinal inflammation often persists despite resolution of abdominal symptoms. Pediatric IBD comes with unique additional challenges, such as growth impairment, pubertal delay, the psychology of adolescence, and development of body image. Even after remission has been achieved, many patients with IBD continue to experience nonspecific symptoms like abdominal pain and fatigue. Transfer to adult care is a well-recognized risk for disease relapse, which highlights patient vulnerability and the need for a transition program that is continued by the adult-oriented IBD team. The general pediatrician is an invaluable link in integrating these challenges in the clinical care of patients with IBD and optimizing their outcomes. This state-of-the-art review aims to provide general pediatricians with an update on pediatric IBD to facilitate interactions with pediatric gastrointestinal specialists.

Transition to adult care in epilepsy: A systematic review

The transfer from paediatric to adult care can be a complex process in children with epilepsy. Inadequate care during this phase can affect long-term medical and psychosocial outcomes. The aim of this study was to review studies on transitional care from paediatric to adult healthcare for young persons with epilepsy in order to synthesize evidence for best practice. We undertook a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and employed narrative synthesis. A total of 36 articles were included, of which 11 were interventional studies and 25 observational studies. Study quality was rated as 'good' for only four studies. Interventions included joint or multidisciplinary clinics, education (patient and health professional education) and extended service provision (Saturday clinics, peer-groups). All studies observed a positive effect experienced by the participants, regardless of intervention type. Observational studies showed that transition plans/programmes are asked for but frequently not existing or not adapted to subgroups with intellectual disability or other neurodevelopmental conditions. The results of this systematic review on transitional care in epilepsy suggest that a planned transition process likely enhances medical and psychosocial outcomes for young people with epilepsy, but the body of evidence is limited and there are significant gaps in knowledge of what efficacious transition constitutes. More studies are needed employing qualitative and quantitative methods to further explore the needs of young people with epilepsy and their families but also robust study designs to investigate the impact of interventions on medical and psychosocial outcomes.