Transition Readiness in Pediatric Chronic Digestive Diseases: A Regional Perspective from North-Eastern Romania.

Abstract

Background: The transition from the pediatric to the adult healthcare system is a challenging process involving adolescents, parents, and pediatric and adult specialists. For a successful approach for an organized transition program, we must assess the level of training of adolescents facing transition. Methods: We applied a clinic-based questionnaire measuring perceived self-management skills, adherence to health-related tasks, medication knowledge, and social adjustment to pediatric patients with chronic digestive diseases from North-East Romanian medical units, including a tertiary center and private practice offices. Results: There were 124 participants; 73.38% from rural areas, 26.62% from urban areas; 59.67% were females, and 40.33% were males; 91.93% attended school and 73.4% declared wanting to pursue university classes after turning 18. Adolescents from urban areas showed better medication managerial (p < 0.01) and tracking healthcare change skills. Significant correlations were found between medication and appointment making, tracking health dynamics, and communication skills. Other correlations were found between communication skills and medication knowledge, appointments management, and tracking healthcare dynamics. All the investigated domains were positively correlated with the overall scores, highlighting the potential impact of active targeted interventions during transition. Conclusions: We identified significant areas to address and potentially influence during an organized transition program such as communication skills and knowledge regarding the chronic disease and the followed medication.