Measuring the transition readiness of youth with special healthcare needs: Validation of the TRAQ - Transition readiness assessment questionnaire

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ), a measure of readiness for transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for youth with special health care needs (YSHCN). Methods: We administered TRAQ to 192 YSHCN aged 16-26 years in three primary diagnostic categories, conducted factor analysis, and assessed differences in TRAQ scores by age, gender, race, and primary diagnosis type. Results: Factor analysis identified two TRAQ domains with high internal consistency: Skills for Self-Management and Skills for Self-Advocacy. Each domain had high internal consistency. In multivariate regression models, older age and a primary diagnosis of an activity limiting physical condition were associated with higher scores in Self-Management, and female gender and a primary diagnosis of an activity limiting physical condition were associated with higher scores in Self-Advocacy.Conclusions: Our initial validation study suggests the TRAQ is a useful tool to assess transition readiness in YSHCN and to guide educational interventions by providers to support transition. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved.