Chronological age when healthcare transition skills are mastered in adolescents/young adults with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM: To describe the longitudinal course of acquisition of healthcare transition skills among adolescents and young adults with inflammatory bowel diseases. METHODS: We recruited adolescents and young adults (AYA) with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), from the pediatric IBD clinic at the University of North Carolina. Participants completed the TR(x)ANSITION Scale™ at least once during the study period (2006-2015). We used the electronic medical record to extract participants’ clinical and demographic data. We used ordinary least square regressions with robust standard error clustered at patient level to explore the variations in the levels and growths of healthcare transition readiness. RESULTS: Our sample (n = 144) ranged in age from 14-22 years. Age was significantly and positively associated with both the level and growth of TR(x)ANSITION Scale™ scores (P < 0.01). Many healthcare transition (HCT) skills were acquired between ages 12 and 14 years, but others were not mastered until after age 18, including self-management skills. CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies to describe the longitudinal course of HCT skill acquisition among AYA with IBD, providing benchmarks for evaluating transition interventions.