Improving Adolescent and Young Adult Care in Queensland

Aim

Identify the priority areas in need of improvement to optimise the care and outcomes for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in Queensland. This is being done in alignment with AYA Clinical Senate enquiry outcomes from 2020, through state-wide, cross sector collaboration between multidisciplinary clinical and consumer experts and several clinical networks.

Project priorities in the short and medium term include:

• the establishment of an AYA sub-network of QCYCN to ensure ongoing visibility of this work
• improving youth empowerment and engagement
• the development of a statewide, consensus based position statement for AYA care
• commencing a statewide, co-designed strategy to improve AYA care
• improving statewide collaboration and information and resource sharing
• health professional education and training in evidence based, AYA care.

Outcomes

To improve developmentally appropriate, holistic health care for young people currently treated across a variety of paediatric and adult, tertiary, community and primary care setttings and across metropolitan, regional and remote locations throughout Queensland. This work aims to improve care and outcomes for AYAs and better support health professionals in work with young people and their families.

Background

Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) comprise 13% of the population in Queensland (ABS Census Data, 2016). Young people experience a unique profile of physical and mental ill health and have specific needs when interfacing with the health system. Advances in healthcare and technology, increasing survivorship and rising rates of chronic disease in paediatric years are resulting in an increasing proportion of this population entering adulthood with complex, co-morbid chronic health conditions and disability. Supporting positive transition between paediatric and adult healthcare is also particularly challenging for young people, families and health professionals alike.

The Improving Adolescent and Young Adult Care in Queensland project was initiated by Queensland Child and Youth Clinical network (QCYCN) following a 2020 Clinical Senate enquiry into adolescents and young adults (AYA) health and care, held with clinical and consumer experts from across Australia. This work identified several priority areas to improve care and outcomes for young people.

Discussion

Each initiative within this project will be subject to its own evaluation process and criteria, but will be evaluated using the following means:

• patient and consumer feedback with the use of surveys, interviews and patient reported outcomes and experience measures where applicable
• clinician feedback with the use of surveys and interviews
• evaluation of the strength and impact of improved collaboration
• evidence of efficacy in terms of service development and improvement within health services across the state.

Lessons learnt

Establishing strong, broad, meaningful stakeholder engagement and buy-in from the beginning with all parties (both clinical and consumer) is crucial to ensure meaningful priorities are identified. This also offers a solid foundation for the work moving forward, cross-site relevance and meaningful translation into practice and care.

References

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Patton, G. C., Sawyer, S. M., Santelli, J. S., Ross, D. A., Afifi, R., Allen, N. B., . . . Viner, R. M. (2016). Our future: A Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. The Lancet, 387(10036), 2423-2478. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00579-1

Ross, D. A., Hinton, R., Melles-Brewer, M., Engel, D., Zeck, W., Fagan, L., . . . Mohan, A. (2020). Adolescent well-being: A definition and conceptual framework. Journal of adolescent health, 67(4), 472-476. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.042

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Sawyer, S. M., Ambresin, A. E., Bennett, K., Hearps, S. J. C., Romaniuk, H., & Patton, G. C. (2011). Towards an adolescent friendly children's hospital. Melbourne: The Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Chidlren's Hospital.

Sawyer, S. M., Ambresin, A. E., Bennett, K. E., & Patton, G. C. (2014). A measurement framework for quality health care for adolescents in hospital. Journal of adolescent health, 55(1), 484-490.

Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 2(3). doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30022-1

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Further Reading

Clinical Senate meeting outcomes (2020): AYA Care - Doing Better