Finding MyVOICE: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Health Outcomes of Young Adults with Chronic Illness Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Health Care.

Abstract

This study examines health use outcomes of young adults with chronic illness following participation in a transition program and identifies variables that impact outcomes. A sample of 119 ethnically diverse, low-income young adults (mean age=21.8 years) was interviewed 6 months post-transition. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses examined the relationship between variables and outcomes. Responses to open-ended questions provided context to findings. Primary care and insurance linkage were significantly higher for patients enrolled in a fully-formed clinic than patients enrolled early in the clinic's development. Patients with multiple diagnoses reported significantly more hospitalizations and specialty care engagement. Hospitalizations and possession of medical records differed significantly by subspecialty. Visit number predicted hospitalizations after accounting for subspecialty, but not after accounting for the number of conditions. This study highlights the impact of disease type and severity on post-transition outcomes following participation in a transition program serving socially and medically complex patients.