New Adolescent Medicine Study Findings Have Been Reported by Investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Exploring Health Literacy, Transition Readiness, and Healthcare Utilization In Medicaid Chronically Ill Youth): Pediatrics – Adolescent Medicine

2021 OCT 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Research findings on Pediatrics - Adolescent Medicine are discussed in a new report. According to news originating from Columbus, Ohio, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Youths with special healthcare needs face challenges transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. Understanding possible mechanisms contributing to poor healthcare transition could improve care.”

Financial support for this research came from National Insitute of Health.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “This study explores associations between health literacy (HL), transition readiness, and healthcare utilization. Youths with special healthcare needs aged 12-18 years were recruited from a Medicaid accountable care organization (2012-2017). Outcome measures included transition readiness (Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire), and healthcare utilization (any well-check, hospitalization, emergency department [ED] visit, or ambulatory sensitive condition ED visit). Multivariate regression analyses examined whether HL (adequate vs. inadequate) predicted outcomes, after adjusting for covariates. Models were then created to examine whether the effect of HL on healthcare utilization was mediated by transition readiness. Among 417 youths with special healthcare needs, 67.1% reported adequate HL. Relative to inadequate HL, teens with adequate HL had significantly higher average Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire-20 scores (beta = .34, p< .001). Controlling for covariates, HL was a significant predictor of having an ambulatory sensitive condition ED visit and having any ED visits neared significance. There was a positive transition readiness mediation effect on having an ED visit, with higher transition readiness being associated with higher odds of having any ED visit in the mediation analysis.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “HL is independently associated with higher transition readiness and lower ambulatory sensitive condition ED use, but pathways of action require further study.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Exploring Health Literacy, Transition Readiness, and Healthcare Utilization In Medicaid Chronically Ill Youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2021;69(4):622-628. Journal of Adolescent Health can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Adolescent Health - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-adolescent-health/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Hannah E. Keedy, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Abigail Wexner Res Inst, Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice, 700 Childrens Dr, Columbus, OH 43205, United States. Additional authors for this research include Deena J. Chisolm, Laura C. Hart, Laura J. Chavez, Millie Dolce, Jennifer Morack, Connor Grannis and Kelly Kelleher.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.03.023. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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