Transition competence as an indicator of health outcomes related to transition

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic conditions face a transfer, defined as an actual shift from paediatric to adult-oriented health care. Transition competence as the self-perceived knowledge, skills and abilities regarding the transition process was considered extremely useful.

AIM

This study was designed to investigate the impact of transition competence before and after the transfer on disease-specific quality of life (QoL) and health care satisfaction of AYAs with diabetes.

RESULTS

In total, a sample of N = 90 AYAs with diabetes self-reported their transition competence, diabetes-specific QoL and satisfaction with care. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyse the impact of transition competence on satisfaction with care and QoL. Transition competence positively influenced the outcomes of satisfaction with care and QoL.

CONCLUSION

Young adults with diabetes showed higher transition competence scores than adolescents with diabetes.

Development and evaluation of a patient education programme for children, adolescents, and young adults with differences of sex development (DSD) and their parents: study protocol of Empower-DSD

BACKGROUND

Differences in sexual development (DSD) are rare diseases, which affect the chromosomal, anatomical or gonadal sex differentiation. Although patient education is recommended as essential in a holistic care approach, standardised programmes are still lacking. The present protocol describes the aims, study design and methods of the Empower-DSD project, which developed an age-adapted multidisciplinary education programme to improve the diagnosis-specific knowledge, skills and empowerment of patients and their parents.

METHODS

The new patient education programme was developed for children, adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome or XX-/or XY-DSD and their parents. The quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods include standardised questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and participatory observation. The main outcomes (assessed three and six months after the end of the programme) are health-related quality of life, disease burden, coping, and diagnosis-specific knowledge. The qualitative evaluation examines individual expectations and perceptions of the programme. The results of the quantitative and qualitative evaluation will be triangulated.

DISCUSSION

The study Empower-DSD was designed to reduce knowledge gaps regarding the feasibility, acceptance and effects of standardised patient education programmes for children and youth with DSD and their parents. A modular structured patient education programme with four generic and three diagnosis-specific modules based on the ModuS concept previously established for other chronic diseases was developed. The topics, learning objectives and recommended teaching methods are summarised in the structured curricula, one for each diagnosis and age group. At five study centres, 56 trainers were qualified for the implementation of the training programmes. A total of 336 subjects have been already enrolled in the study. The recruitment will go on until August 2022, the last follow-up survey is scheduled for February 2023. The results will help improve multidisciplinary and integrated care for children and youth with DSD and their families.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00023096 . Registered 8 October 2020 - Retrospectively registered.

Health care transition from pediatric to adult care: an evidence-based guideline

For consistent quality of treatment of young people with chronic health care needs, a structured health care transition (HCT) from pediatric medicine to adult medical care is essential. Currently, most countries have no guidelines on HCT based on systematic evidence research. To close this gap, guidance to support HCT was developed in Germany. Twenty-two experts in the management of adolescents and young adults with different chronic conditions and three patient representatives were invited to take part in the guideline group. Based on a systematic literature search recommendations for HCT were drafted. Where evidence was lacking, recommendations were developed using collective expert consensus. The consensus process was independently moderated using a Delphi approach. The final draft was reviewed and endorsed by all major German medical societies. The clinical recommendations provide guidance for all chronic somatic diseases. After assessment of HCT readiness, an individualized plan for HCT should be drawn up. Key elements here are a responsible coordinator, age-adapted patient education, involvement of caregivers, web-based interventions, joint visits, and a structured summary for the receiving physician. The aim is the gradual transfer of responsibility for disease management to the young person themselves.    Conclusion: As only a few randomized controlled studies on HCT are available, evidence-based statements are possible for some but not all areas of HCT. However, this guideline may help to develop globally accepted standards. These standards should be established and implemented. The aim should be a reimbursement by individual national health systems to allow appropriate support for young people. What is Known: • Health care transition from pediatric to adult care is primarily organized in local settings, partly based on disease-specific guidelines. •There have been no national guidelines in Germany until now. What is New: • Here we present the general evidence-based guidelines of the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies for health care transition. • These might serve as a blueprint for further national or international health care transition guidelines.

A Short Form of the Child/Youth Health Care Questionnaire on Satisfaction, Utilization, and Needs in Children and Adolescents with a Chronic Condition (CHC-SUN-SF/YHC-SUN-SF)

We decided to develop a short-form of the CHC-SUN/YHC-SUN, a questionnaire aiming at assessing health care satisfaction of children and adolescents with chronic health conditions. Data analysis was based on samples from three different studies. Item selection involved statistical analysis and expert consensus. For independent validation purposes, we calculated descriptive statistics on single-item and composite-scale levels and applied classic test theory, confirmatory factor analyses, and correlation analysis to investigate the psychometric properties of the final short-form by different types of reliability and validity. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha) reached values of a = 0.89 (self-report) and a = 0.92 (parents report), split-half reliability values reached 0.85 (self-report) and 0.91 (parents report). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated no sufficient fit for the single factor solution, whereas the solution with three factors and one higher order factor indicated the best overall fit amongst three competing models. Validity of the short-form measure can be assumed, e.g., as indicated by its association with a single-item measure on general health care satisfaction. The short-form measures of the CHC-SUN for parents (CHC-SUN-SF) and the YHC-SUN self-report version for adolescents (YHC-SUN-SF) feature excellent psychometric performances, provide economical assessments, and are easy-to-administer questionnaires. They should be used whenever brief measures are needed for economic reasons.

The individualized, accompanied transition program “TraiN” for adolescent kidney patients – a local initiative

Since the transition from pediatric and adolescent to adult care often proceeds unaccompanied and unplanned, young patients with chronic kidney disease may experience health risks and non-adherence after the transfer. The psychosocial team at the Department of Pediatric Nephrology at the University Hospital of Cologne has therefore developed its local transition program “TraiN” for patients with chronic kidney disease aged 13 years and older. It combines structure and flexibility through predefined content modules that can be individually adapted to the patients, offering continuity and sustainability through a transition contact person. In addition, the family members are offered regular psychological consultations. The timing of the transfer is chosen individually depending on the level of psychosocial and medical transition readiness. The aim of “TraiN” is to strengthen the patients’ transition competence and the responsibility for their disease management and to provide them and their families the best possible support during the transition in order to prevent possible health risks. In the near future, a scientific evaluation will be conducted aiming to determine whether “TraiN” can support young people in their independence and self-reliant disease management.

[Coping with life for children with chronic illness: necessary services in the healthcare system]

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents with chronic diseases are a very heterogeneous group of patients with age-specific characteristics and a broad spectrum of underlying diseases. These patients require not only good medical care but also comprehensive support in order to achieve the greatest possible participation in social life.

OBJECTIVE

In this review, the problems faced by children and adolescents with chronic diseases, as well as by their families, and the requirements for the best possible life management, are presented. The framework conditions of the healthcare system and the necessary supplementary social benefits are presented and necessary steps for further development are discussed.

CONCLUSION

There are numerous services for children and adolescents with chronic diseases, as well as for their families. However due to the often-confusing access paths and a lack of coordination, these services are not seized to the extent necessary. Current efforts to improve coordination of social legislation and developing one-stop services represent a further step towards improving care.

[Cystic fibrosis : A new disease pattern in adult medicine]

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited incurable multi-organ disease. Improvement in treatment approaches over the last 20 years have led to an increased life expectancy where the number of adult patients has doubled and will continue to increase exponentially. Due to the use of new substances which modulate the basic defect, a substantial improvement in the prognosis can be assumed but the existing healthcare structures in Germany do not meet these rising needs. With more than 50% of patients being adults, there are only very few internal medicine centers available. Only approximately one third of the patients are treated in adult health centers. Adolescence in particular is a very vulnerable phase of the disease, the risk of comorbidities is increased and adherence to the very laborious treatment recommendations is as a rule low. While in many other countries transition programs have been evaluated and implemented for more than 20 years, in Germany there have only been rudimentary approaches to transition. Meanwhile investigations are available on the perceptions of adolescents with respect to coping with the disease and their treatment needs, including the perception of the time when the transition process should begin. Successful transition seems to be performed best in combined pediatric and adult centers, with the back-up of an experienced multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers.