Improvements in care and treatment have led to more young adults with life-limiting conditions living beyond childhood, which means they must make the transition from children's to adult services. However, there is little evidence on transition services for young adults with life-limiting conditions, with few models of good practice in the literature. The aim of the study was too identify the organisational factors, and interactions between factors, involved in promoting or hindering a successful transition for young adults with life-limiting conditions. A realist evaluation approach using a mixed methods design was adopted with four phases of data collection. The first phase involved the distribution of a questionnaire survey to health, social, education and voluntary organisations known to be providing services to young adults making the transition to adult services in Northern Ireland and one Health Services Executive area in the Republic of Ireland. The second phase involved interviews with young adults and the third phase involved focus groups with parents/carers. The final phase involved interviews with service providers from statutory and non-statutory organisations. There were 104 individual responses from 29 organisations in the survey questionnaire; eight young adults participated in interviews, two focus groups with parents/carers were facilitated and 17 service providers participated in interviews throughout Ireland. Eight interventions were identified associated with a successful transition from children's to adult services. Enabling contextual factors included the availability of adequate resources and knowledgeable staff in adult services and young adults who are interested and capable of engaging in transition related activities. Causal mechanisms triggered by interventions included a reaction in the young adult which demonstrated an interest in taking responsibility for their medical management, an enhanced sense of involvement in their transition process and a response of ownership in directing their own journey into adult services.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:707235 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Kerr, Arlene H. |
| Publisher | Queen's University Belfast |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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