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Improving the use of transition readiness measures in research and clinical care

Pediatric Research volume 94, pages 926–930 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Measurement of transition readiness is considered a crucial component of effective transition. It is included as one of the Six Core Elements of Transition in national transitional care guidelines. However, the current measures of transition readiness have not been found to correlate with either current or future health outcomes for youth. In addition, there are challenges in measuring transition readiness in youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who may not be expected to achieve skills and knowledge that are considered essential for transition in typically developing youth. These concerns make it difficult to know how best to use transition readiness measures in research and clinical care. This article highlights the appeal of measuring transition readiness in clinical and research contexts, the current barriers that prevent us from fully achieving those benefits, and potential strategies for bridging the gap.

Impact

  • Transition readiness measures were developed as an attempt to identify those patients who were ready to successfully navigate the transition from pediatric to adult health care.

  • Thus far, the measures that have been developed do not appear to be related to health outcomes such as disease control or timely attendance of the first adult appointment in adult care.

  • We provide suggestions for how to address the current concerns with the available transition readiness measures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA

    Laura C. Hart & Deena Chisolm

  2. Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    Laura C. Hart

  3. College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Deena Chisolm

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L.C.H. conceptualized the paper and prepared the initial draft. D.C. revised the paper critically for important intellectual content. Both authors gave final approval of the paper.

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Correspondence to Laura C. Hart.

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Hart, L.C., Chisolm, D. Improving the use of transition readiness measures in research and clinical care. Pediatr Res 94, 926–930 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-023-02596-0

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