The Effect of Structured Transition Care Model Applied to Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Transitional care training with brochures, posters and slide training materials: Education at 1 and 2 months after the first interview

Study summary

Congenital heart disease is one of the most common congenital defects with a high mortality and morbidity rate. Children with congenital heart disease step from pediatric care to adult care during adolescence. This situation has brought up transitional care, which is defined as "the purposeful and planned movement of adolescents and young adults with chronic physical and medical conditions from pediatric to adult-oriented health systems". Since adolescents with congenital heart disease are at high risk for complications in adulthood, it is very important to raise awareness, increase the level of readiness for adult care and gain self-management skills during the transition phase. This study was planned as a randomized controlled experimental study to evaluate the effect of the developmental transition care model applied to adolescents with congenital heart disease during the transition from pediatric care to adult care on the transition readiness level, self-management skills and care satisfaction of adolescents.

Studies have shown that both adolescents with congenital heart disease and their caregivers need professional support, appropriate transition education and care before transition to adult care in order to increase adaptation to adult care, to gain self-management skills and to reduce their concerns. Studies in which adolescents are followed up after transition to adult care show that when the transition process is not successfully completed, there is excessive time between the last pediatric control and the first adult control or there are losses in further follow-up. Although there are studies in our country in which transition care is applied, this study is planned because there is no intervention study in which developmental transition care model is applied to adolescents with congenital heart disease. It is thought that this study will increase the transition readiness levels, self-management skills and care satisfaction of adolescents with congenital heart disease and guide the nurses working with them.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Transition Readiness Assessment Scale — at certain intervals for 1 year
  It addresses the readiness of adolescents/young adults with chronic diseases to transition from pediatric care to adult care with the sub-dimensions of management of treatment, management of appointments, monitoring of health status, communication with health personnel and management of daily activities. The Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient of the Turkish scale was .88. The readiness for transition assessment scale is a 5-point Likert-type self-assessment scale to assess the skills and behaviors required for disease management in five sub-dimensions. Each item is evaluated between 1 point (no, I do not know how to do it) and 5 points (yes, I can do it when I need to). Adolescents score a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 100 points. The higher the score obtained from the scale, the higher the level of readiness of the adolescent to transition from pediatric care to adult care.

Trial sites (2)

More Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University trials in Turkey