• Led by the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA).
  • Aims to reduce the harms associated with non-engagement for young people transitioning from children’s to adult services.
  • Uses a new education programme developed by AQuA, to embed self-management support and shared decision making in professional practice.
  • Running from early 2014 to mid 2016.

This project focuses on reducing the harms associated with young people with long-term conditions transitioning into adult services. If their transition is not supported effectively, young people can disengage from services and become more significant users of the system than necessary.

The project is delivering and testing an education programme to encourage clinical teams to embed two approaches into professional practice:

  • self-management support – which encourages people to make decisions and choices that improve their health, wellbeing and related behaviours
  • shared decision making – which brings together patients and clinicians to enable patients to use the best available evidence in order to consider their options and make informed decisions.

The programme includes motivational interviewing techniques, shared decision making tools and techniques, an e-learning resource, patient activation, and the AQuA ‘Ask 3 Questions’ patient resources agenda setting tools.

The clinical teams will test these techniques using plan, do, study, act (PDSA) improvement methodology. They will evaluate the findings using a mixed methods approach methodology, providing ‘real-time’ understanding of the effect of intervention on engagement by health care professionals with young people involved in transition.

Benefits

  • enhanced patient activation and engagement in self-care
  • better consultations focusing on the individual 
  • clearer communication of risks 
  • improved health literacy and behaviours
  • safer care and better health outcomes.

Who’s involved?

The project is being led by the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA). Other participating organisations include RaFT Research and Consulting, AQuA Analytics, Self Management UK and the Royal College of Physicians.