Evaluating transition readiness of young people moving from paediatric to adult health care services
Gretel Butler1, Jane Ho1,2, Deanna Darwall1,2 1The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead and Randwick, NSW, Australia2The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract
Transition from paediatric to adult health services often feels overwhelming for young people and their families/carers. Along with a change of medical team and services, young people are expected to take on a greater role in the self-management of their chronic health condition/s. Many young people feel ill-equipped to manage this whilst juggling competing demands such as education and/or employment, financial responsibilities, social and family relationships and lifestyle changes such as moving out of home. Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of great change, with increased vulnerability and risk of gaps in healthcare, sub-optimal treatment adherence and poorer health outcomes.
Trapeze Care Coordinators are senior allied health clinicians who provide care coordination for young people with complex and chronic health conditions known to the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN). We designed and implemented the Transition Readiness Checklist (TRC) to identify skill gaps, establish individualised goals and provide person-centred interventions to enhance transition and self-management.
The TRC explores understanding your medical condition and treatment plan, medication adherence, identifying key clinicians, fostering GP relationships and practical considerations including Medicare Card applications and accessing financial, psychosocial, education and employment supports and services.
Implementation of the TRC demonstrated improvements in young peoples’ understanding of self-management principles and achievement of their health and transition care goals. The secondary phase of this project looks to establish use of the TRC in other clinical areas across SCHN to further enhance transition readiness for all young people moving from paediatric to adult health services.
Biography
Gretel Butler is a transition care coordinator working with the Trapeze team in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. Gretel has worked extensively with young people in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings in clinical areas of mental health, adolescent medicine and transition. Gretel is committed to supporting young people to live their healthiest lives and empowering them to confidently make the leap from paediatric to adult health care services.