1. 292 Cystic fibrosis and transition to adult care in Northern Ireland.
- Author
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McNeilly, J., Downey, D.G., Elborn, J.S., Jenkins, L., Reid, A., and Rendall, J.C.
- Subjects
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CYSTIC fibrosis , *CHRONIC diseases , *HOSPITAL admission & discharge ,DISEASES in adults - Abstract
Background Transition from paediatric to adult care for patients with chronic disease is challenging. Transition should be holistic, patient centred, coordinated, gradual, involve parents and promote autonomy. Adolescents in the paediatric CF unit are reviewed at joint transition clinics with one of our adult CF physicians. In their 18 th year they attend a final transfer clinic (attended by both paediatric and adult multidisciplinary teams). Objective and Methods A questionnaire was distributed to patients aged 18–25 years in the adult CF centre in the Belfast City Hospital to evaluate patients’ experience of transition. Results Eighty-five patients were identified with 40 respondents (24 female, 16 male). The average age was 21 years. Twenty-five percent found transition difficult. All valued being seen by the paediatric and adult teams together. All of the males felt ready to take responsibility for their own health, rather than relying on parents, however 38% admitted that they found this difficult in practice. The majority of females (79%) also felt ready to self-care, but 50% acknowledged difficulty in practice. 33% of respondents reported that parents struggled with transition (85% of these found self-care difficult). The majority of patients settled in to the adult service quickly, but 43% took months-years; these were patients who found it difficult to take ownership of their own care. Conclusion Our model facilitates gradual transition through close cooperation with paediatrics. Based on the above results we plan to introduce a patient information pack to improve the service further, which will address the psychosocial and educational needs of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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