How to define successful transition? An exploration of consensus indicators and outcomes in young adults with chronic conditions

BACKGROUND: In this short report, we use data from a previous cohort study to explore the relationship between five out of eight consensus indicators for successful transition and patient-reported outcomes in young adulthood.

METHODS: Data came from a 6-year cohort study that consisted of a survey among 518 young adults with various chronic conditions and a review of their electronic patient records. Associations between five indicators for successful transition and background variables and patient-reported outcomes were explored with Spearman's r. Significant variables were included in stepwise (logistic) regression analyses with transition outcomes as dependent variables.

RESULTS: The indicators relate to some extent to better healthcare-related transition outcomes, but not to autonomy in participation. The explained variance of the models varied from 9.7% to 26.4%. The change in explained variance after adding indicators varied from 2% to 16%.

CONCLUSIONS: The challenge of translating the definition of transition into holistic indicators remains. The current consensus indicators are a good start, but there is more to transition than transfer.