Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Family Nurse Practioner
Year Degree Awarded
2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/22592369
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
health care transition, pediatrics, adolescents, youth, young adults, health care services, primary care.
Advisor
Constance Flynn, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CARN-AP
DNP Project Chair
Constance Flynn, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, CARN-AP
DNP Project Outside Member Name
DNP Project Mentor: Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC
Abstract
Background: With advances in pediatric care, the number of patients surviving into adulthood with chronic conditions has drastically increased, intensifying the complexity of the process of transition from pediatric to adult centered health care. Despite expert recommendations, established evidence reveals that overall transition outcomes in patients remain suboptimal.
Purpose: The aim this of this project was to provide pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) with current evidence and professional practice recommendations in regard to systematic approaches for the transition of care to the adult setting.
Methods: This quality improvement (QI) project included the development of a provider toolkit based on best practice guidelines. The toolkit was presented to eight providers at one primary care practice with the intention of providing patient/provider resources as well as a framework to streamline the transition process for adolescents and young adults. Pre and post intervention surveys were administered to evaluate PCP confidence in engaging in discussions regarding transition planning for patients and/or their families, age at which discussions commence and interest in utilizing elements of the toolkit in clinical practice.
Outcomes/Discussion: Statistical analysis of the results demonstrated the educational intervention moderately impacted provider confidence in engaging in conversations with patients and/or their parents about transition planning. A statistically significant difference (p = 0.020) was noted after the intervention in regard to age at which providers plan to begin to discuss transition planning with their patients. Providers reported they learned concepts about transition, would recommend the toolkit to their colleagues, and plan to pilot elements of the toolkit in future practice.
Conclusion: The educational intervention was well received by participants. The project outcomes revealed the potential success of implementing a structured approach from pediatric to adult health care in the primary care setting.
Keywords: health care transition, pediatrics, adolescents, youth, young adults, health care services, primary care.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.