Transition of care: health care professionals' view

Abstract

There is much anxiety regarding the transfer of adolescents with chronic illness to adult services. Transfer of patients can be haphazard if the transition has not been planned. Problems and obstacles to transition have been identified and discussed by various authors. The purpose of this small study was to explore the views and needs of health care professionals from one National Health Service trust regarding the transition of care for adolescents with a chronic condition from children's to adult services and to identify possible ways to improve the current services for this particular group of young adults. The sample comprised 40 health care professionals, nurses from the children's department and adult ward, doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists and pharmacists currently working in the same hospital trust. A postal survey was conducted. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The main findings suggest that there is a need for a planned transition programme, supported by a clinical protocols and a specialist unit for adolescents. Health care professionals' views of patients and family/carers' needs and how such needs may be met were identified.