Background: To validate the Argentinean Spanish version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales in Argentinean children and adolescents with chronic conditions and to assess the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on the instrument's comprehensibility and acceptability. Reliability, and known-groups, and convergent validity were tested.

There is a scarcity of instruments to measure HRQOL of children and adolescents in the countries analyzed. Certain psychometric characteristics have been reasonably well tested, but others, most notably sensitivity to change, have not been tested in most instruments. Extension of this study to other Latin American countries would help to further identify gaps in this area and promote the use of HRQOL measurement in children and adolescents in Spanish-speaking cultures.

Introduction. The transition of adolescents with chronic conditions to adult follow-up care is an increasingly complex process. Patients need to acquire knowledge and skills that ensure continuity of their care. The goal of this study was to validate the Argentinian Spanish version of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) 5.0 tool in adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions. Population and methods. Descriptive, crosssectional, quantitative study. Patients with chronic conditions aged 14 years or older treated at Hospital Garrahan were included. The TRAQ is made up of 20 items divided into 5 subscales (Managing Medication, Appointment Keeping, Tracking Health Issues, Talking with Providers, Managing Daily Activities), and is designed to be self-administered. Patients completed the TRAQ, as well as an opinion survey about its use and a self-perceived autonomy scale; their physicians answered a scale about patients' health impairment due to the condition. Sociodemographic, clinical and TRAQ-related variables were recorded. Results. A total of 191 patients participated. The majority of patients (96.3%) understood the TRAQ 5.0 questionnaire and completed it correctly, in self-administered modality, in a short time (median: 5 minutes), with little or no help (81%). Patients who live in poverty or have a lower education level than the one expected for their age needed more help. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the overall score was 0.81. Construct validity was demonstrated by testing different hypotheses (all p < 0.05): discrimination by age ≥ 16 years (3.01 vs. 3.34), sex (women: 3.38 > men: 3.12) and having plans for the future (without plans: 3.01 < with plans: 3.34); correlation with self-perception scale (r= 0.49). Conclusion. The TRAQ 5.0 tool is available for use in Argentinian adolescents with chronic conditions.

In Argentina, there was not an adapted and validated instrument to evaluate readiness for the transition to adult health care. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of cross-cultural adaptation of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire 5.0 to Argentinian Spanish. The authors of the instrument were contacted to this effect. Stage 1: two translators performed the translation to Spanish. Stage 2: based on these two versions, version 1 was agreed upon. Stage 3: two back-translations were performed. Stages 4 and 5: both back-translated versions were compared, and the Spanish version was adapted to ensure correspondence with the original. Subheads were added in each domain, and version 2 was obtained. Stage 6: the questionnaire was field tested to ensure the cultural adequacy of the vocabulary, thus obtaining version 3. In the last stage (stage 7), the instrument was tested in two hospitals. Finally, the cross-cultural adaptation of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire 5.0 for the Argentinian population was obtained.

Introduction:The shift of adolescents from a pediatric to an adult health care facility is a complex process. The objective of this study was to assess the transition/transfer process for adolescents with chronic diseases at Hospital Garrahan. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, qualitative-quantitative study. Retrospective statistical data were obtained in relation to outpatient visits of patients aged 16-26; surveys and/or interviews were done with health care providers, adolescents, and family members from different follow-up programs. Results: The prevalence of care provided to individuals older than 16 years was 7.2%. Surveys were administered to 54 attending health care providers, 150 patients (16-26.7 years old) and 141 family members. In addition, 45 health care providers with management functions were interviewed. Health care providers: 39% had received training on transition. All identified barriers and facilitators among the different participants and facilities. They recognized the importance of encouraging autonomy among their patients, but only 30% of them interviewed their patients alone, and 56.6% delivered medical reports. Strategies: the median age of transfer was 18 years (13-20); 62% had a protocol; 84% had an informal agreement with another facility; joint or parallel care: 49%; only 20% implemented a transition plan. Patients and family members: 4.7% of adolescents attended visits alone, and health care providers had asked 45% about their autonomy and preparation to take care of their health. Adolescents and their parents had feelings (mostly negative) regarding the process and identified facilitation strategies, such as receiving a summary, knowing the new facility, and having trained health care providers. Conclusions: The transition process for adolescents with chronic diseases is still deficient and approaching it involves health care teams and the families. A lack of formal inter-institutional agreements was identified, although there were more informal agreements among health care providers; besides, the need to encourage chronically-ill patients' autonomy was also determined. In relation to facilitation strategies, patients and parents mainly recognized the need to have a medical summary, health care guidelines, and trust in the new provider.

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RESUMENIntroducción. El pasaje de adolescentes con enfermedades crónicas al seguimiento como adultos es un proceso complejo y creciente. Los pacientes necesitan adquirir conocimientos y habilidades que aseguren la continuidad de su cuidado. El objetivo fue llevar a cabo la validación del instrumento Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) 5.0, versión en español argentino, en adolescentes y adultos jóvenes con enfermedades crónicas. Población y métodos. Estudio descriptivo, transversal y cuantitativo. Se incluyeron pacientes mayores de 14 años con enfermedad crónica atendidos en el Hospital Garrahan. El TRAQ incluye 20 ítems en 5 subescalas (medicación, asistencia a citas, seguimiento de problemas de salud, comunicación con profesionales, manejo de actividades cotidianas) y se responde de modo autoadministrado. Los pacientes completaron el TRAQ, una encuesta de opinión sobre su uso y otra escala de autopercepción de autonomía; sus médicos, una escala sobre el compromiso de la enfermedad. Se registraron variables sociodemográficas, clínicas y relacionadas con el TRAQ. Resultados. Participaron 191 pacientes. El TRAQ 5.0 pudo ser comprendido y completado por la mayoría de los pacientes (96,3%), en forma autoadministrada, en poco tiempo (mediana: 5 minutos) y con poca o ninguna ayuda (81%). Presentar pobreza o escolaridad no acorde aumentó la necesidad de ayuda. La consistencia interna (alfa de Cronbach) para la puntuación total fue 0,81. Se demostró validez de construcción al testear diferentes hipótesis (todas p < 0,05): discriminación según edad ≥ 16 años (3,01 vs. 3,34), sexo (mujeres: 3,38 > varones: 3,12) y presencia de proyecto futuro (sin: 3,01 < con: 3,34); correlación con escala de autopercepción (r: 0,49). Conclusión. El TRAQ 5.0 queda disponible para ser utilizado en adolescentes argentinos con enfermedades crónicas. Palabras clave: transición de la salud, estudios de validación, salud del adulto, enfermedad crónica, encuestas y cuestionarios.