Support from healthcare services during transition to adulthood - Experiences of young adult survivors of pediatric cancer

- This study explores cancer survivors' experiences of support during transition to adulthood.
- Participants had received insufficient support from healthcare services to continue life after the disease.
- Participants expressed a need of equal roles in healthcare services to promote their participation.
- Participants expressed a need for continuous support to handle consequences of the disease.
- These outcomes emphasizes the importance of resources and support to handle individual needs.

PurposeImproved survival rates of pediatric cancer have drawn attention on how to best facilitate long-term follow up and transition from pediatric to adult care. The transition process is multifactorial and necessitates the joint involvement of the patient, the family and the healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of support from healthcare services during the transition from adolescence to adulthood described by young adult survivors of pediatric cancer.MethodsA mixed method with a convergent parallel design was used to evaluate the experiences of receiving support from healthcare services (eg pediatric oncology and pediatric clinic) during transition from adolescence to adulthood described by young adult survivors of pediatric cancer (n = 213) in a nation wide cross-sectional survey.ResultsA quantitative assessment of the experienced extent and satisfaction of support from healthcare services to handle physical, mental and social changes to continue life after the disease showed that a majority of the participants had received insufficient support. The qualitative analysis indicated a need for equal roles in healthcare to promote participation, a need to manage and process consequences of the disease, and a need for continuous support.ConclusionsDuring transition to adulthood, there's a need for a personalized care plan that takes a holistic approach towards supporting the young cancer survivor in managing life in the best way. Identifying and handling the individual needs of pediatric cancer survivors is important for providing the resources and support required to increase the likelihood of successful transition to adulthood.