title: Improving transition: a qualitative study examining the attitudes of young people with chronic illness transferring to adult care.
abstract: Transition is a process that attends to the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of young people as they transfer to adult-orientated care. With a growing population of adolescents surviving with chronic illness well into adulthood, it is remarkable that empirical research has paid little attention to transition. This qualitative study examined the attitudes of young people with chronic illness who were facing transition, considering what young people wanted from a transition service and the ways in which provision could be improved from a service-user's perspective. A purposive sample of seven adolescents (aged 14-17) attending a hospital youth club were interviewed. To increase the likelihood of successful transition, strategies need to be informal, flexible, highly individualized and prepare adolescents steadily for adult services.
authors.affiliation: Royal Free Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soanes
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Timmons
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010360:Patient Transfer; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D006113:United Kingdom