You are here

Transition experiences of the chronically ill adolescent

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2014
Summary:
The continued development of the American health care system and evolving technology have led to an increased life expectancy within the general population. In fact, these advancements have also resulted in growing numbers of young people with chronic illnesses living into adulthood. Approximately one third of children ages 10-17 have a chronic disease, and the vast majority of these children will survive beyond their 20th birthday (Blum, 1995; Lotstein, McPherson, Strickland, & Newacheck, 2005; White, 2002). The main objective of this study was to explore the healthcare transition (HCT) practices of health care providers and the HCT experiences of chronically ill young adults living with sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and/or diabetes. Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Hifinger Messias, & Schumacher’s (2000) theory on transition and Boykin and Schoenhofer’s (2001) theory of Nursing as Caring provided the theoretical lenses throughwhich study findings were viewed. This was a descriptive exploratory mixed methods design that consisted of survey data and used conventional content analysis to analyze the qualitative data. The quantitative portion of this study incorporated a 41-question survey that was completed by 33 health care providers working with chronically ill young adults in the southeast Florida region. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young adults (18-24 years of age) living with a sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and/or diabetes. Five themes emerged from an analysis of the data describing the healthcare transition (HCT) experience: Transition Confusion, Familial Reliance, Lost in Transition, Fiscal Stressors, and Transition Uneasiness. The findings of this study demonstrate that there are, at minimum, three general parts of the HCT process that remain deficient: educational preparation, consistent communication between all parties involved in the HCT process, and guidance for the independent negotiation of the present healthcare system. Recommendations for healthcare providers that work with chronically ill young adults include establishing a HCT framework that incorporates consistent communication among team members and patients/families, individualized educational formats, and guidance for navigational skills to negotiate the healthcare system.
Title: Transition experiences of the chronically ill adolescent.
264 views
193 downloads
Name(s): White, Kelly N., author
Keller, Kathryn B., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2014
Date Issued: 2014
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 121 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The continued development of the American health care system and evolving technology have led to an increased life expectancy within the general population. In fact, these advancements have also resulted in growing numbers of young people with chronic illnesses living into adulthood. Approximately one third of children ages 10-17 have a chronic disease, and the vast majority of these children will survive beyond their 20th birthday (Blum, 1995; Lotstein, McPherson, Strickland, & Newacheck, 2005; White, 2002). The main objective of this study was to explore the healthcare transition (HCT) practices of health care providers and the HCT experiences of chronically ill young adults living with sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and/or diabetes. Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Hifinger Messias, & Schumacher’s (2000) theory on transition and Boykin and Schoenhofer’s (2001) theory of Nursing as Caring provided the theoretical lenses throughwhich study findings were viewed. This was a descriptive exploratory mixed methods design that consisted of survey data and used conventional content analysis to analyze the qualitative data. The quantitative portion of this study incorporated a 41-question survey that was completed by 33 health care providers working with chronically ill young adults in the southeast Florida region. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight young adults (18-24 years of age) living with a sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and/or diabetes. Five themes emerged from an analysis of the data describing the healthcare transition (HCT) experience: Transition Confusion, Familial Reliance, Lost in Transition, Fiscal Stressors, and Transition Uneasiness. The findings of this study demonstrate that there are, at minimum, three general parts of the HCT process that remain deficient: educational preparation, consistent communication between all parties involved in the HCT process, and guidance for the independent negotiation of the present healthcare system. Recommendations for healthcare providers that work with chronically ill young adults include establishing a HCT framework that incorporates consistent communication among team members and patients/families, individualized educational formats, and guidance for navigational skills to negotiate the healthcare system.
Identifier: FA00004234 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Children with disabilities -- Care
Chronic diseases in children -- Psychological aspects
Chronically ill children -- Services for
Health services accessibility
Nursing -- Philosophy
Nursing models
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004234
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004234
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.