Abstract
Transition from pediatric to adult care is a challenging time for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with rheumatic diseases. Validated tools have been developed to assess transition readiness. To evaluate transition readiness among AYA with rheumatic diseases and to identify factors associated with transition readiness. Patients ≥15years old were enrolled into our transition program and administered a Transition Readiness Assessment Tool (TRAT) from July 2017. The TRAT consists of 3 components: (a) patient's perception on importance of transition and confidence toward transition on a Likert scale 0-10; (b) assessment of knowledge on medical and healthcare usage using a set of 23 questions; (c) transition readiness using the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ). Differences between groups were compared to identify factors associated with transition readiness. Transition readiness assessment was performed in 152 patients. The median score for perception on transition importance was 7.0 (5.0-8.8) and the median score for confidence in transition was 7.0 (5.0-9.0). Majority of the patients (>50%) lack knowledge in health insurance, carrying health information, healthcare privacy changes and making own healthcare decision. Patients <20years old were also deficient in knowledge in navigating healthcare systems. TRAQ scores were lowest in areas pertaining to healthcare insurance and obtaining financial help. Healthcare insurance literacy and self-management skills were lacking in the assessment of transition readiness in AYA with rheumatic diseases. Targeted intervention in these areas will improve transition readiness and promote successful transition processes.
Published Version
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