Getting Ready to Leave: Transition Readiness in Adolescent Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

The preliminary psychometrics of the RTQ appear to be supported. Additional research should evaluate healthcare transition programming to identify clinical components related to improved transition readiness, adolescent responsibility, and medical outcomes.

“It’s Just Going to a New Hospital … That’s It.” Or Is It? An Experiential Perspective on Moving From Pediatric to Adult Cancer Services

“…The findings of this study resonate in many ways with the findings of the current empirical base for conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus, 31 sickle cell disease, 18 somatic chronic conditions or special healthcare needs, 32,33 liver and kidney transplant, 34,35 and now cancer, 36 in which it has been noted that readiness is a central element of transition. However, limitations in this body of evidence should be considered in light of the findings from this study.…”

Young people, mental health practitioners and researchers co-produce a Transition Preparation Programme to improve outcomes and experience for young people leaving Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

“…To our knowledge, young people were not integral to the design of these tools. Ready Steady Go and other examples of transition readiness assessments for patients with chronic illness [8–11] use batteries of tick-box questionnaires to highlight needs and assess readiness. The young people in this study were not in favour of preparation through questionnaire, opting instead to steer themselves through a programme of activities, coordinated and supported by peer support workers.…”

“…Models to assess preparedness and readiness to transition have been piloted with young people and adults in physical health [8–11], severe mental health needs [12] and inpatient settings [13], but are rare in community CAMHS. To our knowledge there are no standard, routine assessments of readiness for transition from CAMHS and robust transitional care models have yet to be developed or evaluated [4].…”

A Clinical Tool to Measure the Components of Health-Care Transition from Pediatric Care to Adult Care: TheUNC TRxANSITION Scale

“…The UNC TR x ANSITION Scale is a tool that has the potential to facilitate this process and may be used to assess achievement/mastery of healthcare transition knowledge and skills in patients with different chronic medical conditions. Unlike the work by three other groups, 17,26,27 our scale was developed in a moderate-size cohort of adolescents who represent multiple medical conditions and does not rely solely on selfreport. This scale provides practitioners with immediate data that can direct their interventions while adolescents and emerging adults are attending their clinic.…”