Assessing the Satisfaction of Teens with Kidney Transplants who have Attended an Adolescent Transition Clinic
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Authors: Cheryl Belair, Jordan Gilleland and Sandra Amaral
Abstract: Adolescents with kidney transplants are at increased risk for allograft rejection and loss. These negative health outcomes are likely multifactorial, but seem to be exacerbated during the time of transition from pediatric to adult healthcare providers. In June 2007, our center initiated an adolescent-focused transition clinic for adolescent kidney transplant recipients with the goal of improving adolescent healthcare self-management and easing adolescents’ transition to adult health services. We conducted a telephone survey of 21 young adult kidney transplant recipients who had attended this transition clinic to assess their satisfaction with receiving adolescent-specific, multidisciplinary care. Eleven patients (52%) had transitioned within the prior 2 years and 10 patients (48%) were pending transition in the coming year. All 21 patients felt that being seen independently was beneficial. Nineteen patients (90%) believed that the adolescent clinic helped them prepare for transition to the adult center and 18 patients (86%) felt more knowledgeable about their medical condition and disease after attending the clinic. Those that did not feel that the clinic helped them stated that they already felt knowledgeable about their medications and condition prior to the clinic. Nine of the eleven patients (82%) who had transferred noted that they felt fully prepared at time of transition. These results suggest that adolescents with kidney transplants perceive benefit from attending an adolescent-focused transition clinic. Whether improved health knowledge and improved ability to communicate with providers independently leads to better long-term health outcomes and smoother transition deserves further exploration.
