Perceptions of adolescents and young adults with allergy and/or asthma and their parents on EAACI guideline recommendations about transitional care: A European survey

Abstract

Background The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has developed a guideline to provide evidence‐based recommendations for healthcare professionals to support the transitional care of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with allergy and/or asthma. The goal of this work was to ensure that the draft recommendations are also important for patients. Methods We surveyed patients aged 11–25 years with allergy and/or asthma and their parents across Europe between 17 February and 16 March 2020. The multilingual survey was distributed through national allergy and asthma patient organizations in Europe as well as through social media. Results A total of 1210 responses from 24 European countries were collected. There were 415 (34.3%) AYA and 795 (65.7%) parents. The majority of AYA (72.3%) and parents (81.9%) were female. Patients had a history of asthma (61.1%), allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (54.1%), food allergy (53.8%), atopic eczema (42.6%) and anaphylaxis (28.8%). All recommendations achieved the median score of either ‘important’ or ‘very important’. The least supported recommendations were the use of joint clinics with both paediatric and adult physicians attending and the use of web‐based or mobile technologies for communication with the AYA. The most supported recommendation was checking that the AYA is knowledgeable and compliant with their prescribed medication. Qualitative analysis revealed conditional approval for some recommendations. Conclusions There was agreement from patients and parents on the importance of the draft recommendations on transitional care for AYA with allergy and/or asthma and their parents. The recommendations now need to be implemented into clinical practice across Europe.

A practical toolbox for the effective transition of adolescents and young adults with asthma and allergies: An EAACI position paper

“…Identifying and addressing psychological issues has been identified as an important aspect in transition care by AYA and their parents 6 . Access to local mental health resources may vary across countries/regions.…”

“…However, transitional care provision has significant limitations across Europe. The broad scope of AYA healthcare transition, along with competing priorities and limited resources, may lead to HCP feeling overwhelmed when approaching the needs of this age group 5,6 …”

“…The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) transition guideline was developed by a multi‐stakeholder Task Force from across Europe using evidence‐based principles and published to support HCP in effectively managing AYA 4 . Its recommendations have been favourably reviewed by AYA and parents from across Europe 6 . This paper aimed to provide HCP (both paediatric and adult, as well as those seeing all ages), AYA and families with practical and targeted resources to support successful self‐management of asthma and allergic conditions.…”

Heterogeneous Condition of Asthmatic Children Patients: A Narrative Review

“…The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) has provided evidence-based recommendations to support the transitional care of allergic/asthmatic AYA [9], including useful procedures such as the simplification of medication regimes and the use of reminders or peers in training AYA patients. The involvement of families and friends should be encouraged in assisting patients; letting their friends know about their allergies and asthma could improve disease acceptance [10].…”

“…Transition is an 'active and evolving process that addresses the medical, psychosocial, and educational needs of young people as they prepare to move from child-to adult-centered health care' [41]. Transition programs have shown significant improvements in the management of patients with chronic diseases, reaching a greater level of adherence in follow up visits, and of self-efficacy outcomes [10].…”