G547(P) The effect of having transition discussions of paediatric patients; a co-produced patient experience study

Aims NICE guidelines (NG43) recommend that discussions between patients and clinicians about transition from paediatric to adult health care should occur by the ages of 13–14 years to facilitate a gradual transition into adult healthcare. However, often these conversations are not part of routine consultations at this age. We aimed to evaluate the benefit and importance of having transition discussions and how having them early can impact on patients and their carers. Methods A survey about patient experience was co-designed with young people. The survey was delivered by researchers and young people in all outpatient departments in a tertiary paediatric hospital. Patients and their carers were asked to complete a survey about their experience and understanding of discussions about transition. They were asked to complete the questionnaires separately. A separate questionnaire was devised for children and young people with learning difficulties. Results 556 patients and 271 carers completed the survey with sufficient data to be analysed. Only 30.1% of patients had received a transition discussion by the age of 18 and only 3.4% of patients received a discussion about transition by the age of 14. The mean age of transition discussions was 15.8 yrs. Of patients who had received a discussion on transition, there was an improved overall care experience (mean increase of 9.1%, p=0.003) and an overall improvement in patients’ perceived preparedness for transition (mean increase of 20.2%, p Conclusions Our study suggests that having transition discussions with patients helps to make them feel more prepared for the transition into adult healthcare and reduces carer anxiety relating to transition. There is also an overall improvement in patient experience. This implies that the discussions that are being had are effective in informing patients of the process however, more of these discussions need to be had to empower patients during consultations. Further work is needed to see if there is correlation with improved patient experience and healthcare outcomes.