Compass: A Journal of Leadership (Fall 2003)

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Compass: A Journal of Leadership (Fall 2004)

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Youth report of healthcare transition counseling and autonomy support from their rheumatologist

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To increase understanding of the healthcare transition (HCT) process for young people living with Juvenile Idopathic Arthritis (JIA) by examining: 1) the extent to which youth report discussing HCT topics with their rheumatologist and 2) the association between youth perceptions of autonomy support from their rheumatologist and HCT discussions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data are from an online survey of youth in the United States with rheumatologic conditions (n= 134). HCT discussion was measured by 4 questions from the <it>National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.</it> Youth perception of autonomy support was measured using a validated 6-item scale<it>.</it></p> <p>Results</p> <p>One third of the youth (33.7%) reported talking to their rheumatologist about transferring to adult medicine. Less than half (40.8%) of respondents talked with their rheumatologist about adult healthcare needs, and less than a quarter (22.0%) discussed acquiring health insurance as an adult. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62.7%) reported that their rheumatologist usually/always encourages self-care responsibility. Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between rheumatologist support for youth autonomy and HCT counseling.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The low frequency of HCT counseling reported indicates a continuing need to increase awareness among rheumatologist in the USA. The strong associations between rheumatologist’s support for youth autonomy and HCT counseling suggest that developmentally “in-tune” providers may deliver the best guidance about transition planning for youth living with arthritis.</p