Measuring Acuity and Patient Progress for Youth With Special Health Care Needs in Transition Care Utilizing Nursing Outcomes

• This paper explores the use of nursing outcomes classification (NOC) as system of measurement for acuity and patient progress for youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) in transition care.
• NOC measures attain significantly more information about a patient's level of function and progress than generally captured in routine medical exams.
• There is a lack of standardized functional measurement across all disciplines that care for YSHCN, yet they are labeled in one category.
• Measuring function, progress and acuity of YSHCN is important cornerstone in assessing and comparing the effectiveness of any transition program.
• Documentation of nursing outcomes may be useful adjunct as it has the potential to determine patient acuity and outcomes that will guide utilization of resources in order for care to be effective.

Implementation of a nursing outcomes classification system (NOC) for youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) to support a transition care program may help describe the acuity and measure effectiveness of outcomes. Legislation mandates that care for YSHCN demonstrates effective coordination of care that is patient centered and age appropriate. Transition programs are recommended by leading authorities. In order to provide fair and equable care a universal rating process needs to be implemented to describe the patients' functional status and progress. NOC has the potential to measure patient acuity and outcomes for YSHCN that potentially may guide care needs.