Unmet education and training needs of rheumatology health professionals in adolescent health and transitional care

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the perceived education and training needs of health professionals involved in transitional care for adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: Two distinct questionnaires to identify transitional issues in JIA were distributed to key health professionals (n = 908) and clinical personnel involved in the implementation of a transitional care programme (n = 22).

Results: The first survey was completed by 263 professionals. Education needs were reported by 114 (43%) of health professionals. Transition issues and informational resources were the most frequently reported areas of need. The second survey was completed by 22 clinical personnel who rated 'lack of training', 'lack of teaching materials geared towards adolescents' and 'limited clinic time' as the main barriers to providing developmentally appropriate care to adolescents.

Conclusion: Unmet education and training needs of health care professionals exist in key areas of transitional care and provide useful directions for the development of future training programmes.