Meredith A J Johnson1, Karina Javalkar1, Miranda van Tilburg2, Cara Haberman3, Eniko Rak4, Maria E Ferris5. 1. Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Wake Forest, NC. 4. Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. 5. Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: maria_ferris@med.unc.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health care transition preparation, medication adherence, and self-efficacy are important skills to achieve optimal health outcomes. It is unclear how pediatric patients with chronic conditions obtain health information that may impact the acquisition of these skills. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we determined the preferred sources/methods for health information among youths with chronic conditions and their relationship to health care transition readiness (STARx Questionnaire), self-efficacy (Iannotti's Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale), and medication adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). Youths with various chronic health conditions attending Victory Junction, a therapeutic camp, were invited to complete these online surveys. RESULTS: A total of 160 youths with different chronic conditions from multiple institutions, ages 6 to 16 years participated. Most commonly preferred sources of medical information were family/parents (n=122, 76.3%) and health care providers (n=88, 55.0%). Youths who favored family/parents had the highest medication adherence rates. In turn, youths who favored health care providers over other sources, scored highest on self-efficacy and transition readiness of all groups. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings represent important areas of intervention to improve transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence. Ascertaining the patients' preferred method of learning about the disease and its management is important in order to customize and enhance health care transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence.
BACKGROUND: Health care transition preparation, medication adherence, and self-efficacy are important skills to achieve optimal health outcomes. It is unclear how pediatric patients with chronic conditions obtain health information that may impact the acquisition of these skills. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we determined the preferred sources/methods for health information among youths with chronic conditions and their relationship to health care transition readiness (STARx Questionnaire), self-efficacy (Iannotti's Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale), and medication adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). Youths with various chronic health conditions attending Victory Junction, a therapeutic camp, were invited to complete these online surveys. RESULTS: A total of 160 youths with different chronic conditions from multiple institutions, ages 6 to 16 years participated. Most commonly preferred sources of medical information were family/parents (n=122, 76.3%) and health care providers (n=88, 55.0%). Youths who favored family/parents had the highest medication adherence rates. In turn, youths who favored health care providers over other sources, scored highest on self-efficacy and transition readiness of all groups. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings represent important areas of intervention to improve transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence. Ascertaining the patients' preferred method of learning about the disease and its management is important in order to customize and enhance health care transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence.
Authors: Kathryn Dahir; Ruban Dhaliwal; Jill Simmons; Erik A Imel; Gary S Gottesman; John D Mahan; Gnanagurudasan Prakasam; Allison I Hoch; Prameela Ramesan; Maria Díaz-González de Ferris Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2022-02-17 Impact factor: 5.958