Purpose: This multi-site study examines patient, parent, and pediatric provider perspectives on what is most important for successful transition.
Design and methods: Using the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire, 190 participants recruited from two pediatric IBD centers selected the top five skills they considered "most important for successful transition." Rankings were summarized and compared by group.
Results: While patients, parents, and clinicians all identified "calling the doctor about unusual changes in health" and "taking medications correctly and independently" as being important, each stakeholder group qualitatively and statistically differed in terms of transition readiness skills emphasized. Patients endorsed "calling the doctor about unusual changes in health" and "being knowledgeable about insurance coverage," as being most important to successful transition while parents emphasized health monitoring and problem solving. Pediatric providers emphasized adherence to treatment and reporting unusual changes in health. There were statistically significant differences in endorsement rates across participants for seven transition readiness skills. Patients agreed with providers 80% of the time and with their parents 40% of the time. Parent-provider agreement was 60%.
Conclusions: Although there was some overlap across groups, areas of emphasis differed by informant. Patients emphasized skills they need to learn, parents emphasized skills they most likely manage for their children, and providers emphasized skills that directly impact their provision of care.
Practice implications: Patient, parent, and provider beliefs all need to be considered when developing a comprehensive transition program. Failure to do so may result in programs that do not meet the needs of youth with IBD.
Keywords: Adolescent; Colitis, ulcerative; Crohn's disease; Pediatrics; Transition to adult care.
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