Browsing by Author "Patton, Megan"

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    Development of the Strengths, Skills, and Goals Matrix: a tool for facilitating strengths-based adolescent and young adult engagement in research
    (2023-10-04) Allemang, Brooke; Patton, Megan; Greer, Katelyn; Pintson, Karina; Farias, Marcela; Schofield, Keighley; Samuel, Susan; Patten, Scott B.; Sitter, Kathleen C.; Dimitropoulos, Gina
    Abstract Background The involvement of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with lived experience of health and mental health conditions as partners in research is increasing given the prominence of participatory approaches to research, including patient-oriented research (POR). Much of the relevant research is conducted by graduate students. While guiding AYA engagement frameworks and models exist, the processes of partnering with AYAs in patient-oriented graduate-level research projects have not been well established. Co-developed tools and practices are required to support strengths-based, developmentally appropriate AYA-graduate student partnerships. Objectives The objectives of this commentary are: (1) to share the processes of partnership between a graduate student and five Young Adult Research Partners (YARP), (2) to describe the co-design and implementation of the Strengths, Skills, and Goals Matrix (SSGM), a tool for facilitating strengths-based AYA engagement in research, and (3) to outline considerations for applying this tool across a variety of research contexts with patient partners. Main body Within the YARP-graduate student partnership, the SSGM offered extensive benefits, including tangible skill development, peer mentorship, and rapport building among all members. This tool offers strategies for strengths-based engagement practices which emphasize AYAs’ preferences and goals throughout POR projects. Practical recommendations and considerations for applying the SSGM within graduate-level research and beyond are described, including the importance of connecting AYAs’ current (and desired) skills to specific tasks within the research project and resulting outputs. Conclusions The SSGM has possible relevance in a variety of settings given its broadly applicable structure. Future research could explore the adaptation, application, and evaluation of the SSGM across research contexts to determine its feasibility and ease of implementation. Patient or public contribution This article was conceived of and co-authored by five young adult research partners. The YARP co-designed the SSGM presented in this article, the figures, and substantially contributed to the preparation of the article.
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    The Impact of a Patient Navigator on Readiness Assessment Scores in Youth Transitioning to Adult Health Care in Alberta
    (2024-07-01) Patton, Megan; Samuel, Susan; Dimitropoulos, Gina; Anthony, Samantha; Patten, Scott
    Purpose At 16-19 years of age, youth with chronic medical conditions transition from their pediatric specialist to an adult specialist. Youth often feel unprepared for this transfer of care making transition preparations crucial. Transition readiness assessments may have a role in guiding transition preparation. The Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) is the most strongly validated readiness measurement, however, longitudinal examination of TRAQ scores is required to investigate the tool’s suitability to assist in a successful transition. Methods With a patient-oriented approach, this dissertation explored the impact of a patient navigator on TRAQ scores at three-time points within the Transition Navigator Trial (TNT). Transition Research Advisory Council (TRAC) members were partners in this work to highlight the perspectives, opinions, and expertise of those with lived experience of transitioning to the adult health care system. Guiding principles of patient-oriented research (POR) were applied to engage TRAC members meaningfully throughout all phases of the research. Special considerations must be made when engaging youth such as allowing for flexibility throughout the partnership, ample opportunities for mentorship, and reciprocal learning, as such the Youth Engagement Conceptual Model was implemented in conjunction with the guiding principles. This study used data collected as part of the TNT, a pragmatic randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a patient navigator intervention for youth transitioning to adult healthcare. A total of 129 participants were included in this quantitative analysis. Comparisons between the control and intervention group were performed with a Mann-Whitney U test. A mixed-model analysis with random intercepts was used to explore the relationship between access to a patient navigator, time, and TRAQ scores. Results At baseline, there was no significant difference in mean TRAQ scores between the intervention and control group (β=0.05, p = 0.58, 95% CI -0.12, 0.22). Irrespective of treatment allocation, mean TRAQ scores did increase over time between both baseline to 12 months (β=0.54, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.44, 0.63), and baseline to 24 months (β =0.68, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.59, 0.78). In our sample alarmingly we note that only 56% of AYA were scoring > 4.0 (‘ready’ for transition as defined by the TRAQ) 24-months post enrollment into the study, which is between one to two years after their transition to adult care. Youth partners played a crucial role in providing insights into the study results, particularly in understanding the lack of significant findings. Discussion This study sought to examine the change in TRAQ scores in a longitudinal study between those assigned to a patient navigator intervention versus care as usual. We found that access to a patient navigator intervention did not significantly impact the rate of change in TRAQ scores. Our study underscores the criticality of partnering with youth in quantitative studies to ensure outcomes and analyses are relevant and impactful in addressing the needs of this population.
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    “They go hand in hand”: a patient-oriented, qualitative descriptive study on the interconnectedness between chronic health and mental health conditions in transition-age youth
    (2023-01-02) Allemang, Brooke; Samuel, Susan; Pintson, Karina; Patton, Megan; Greer, Katelyn; Farias, Marcela; Schofield, Keighley; Sitter, Kathleen C.; Patten, Scott B.; Mackie, Andrew S.; Dimitropoulos, Gina
    Abstract Background Transition-age youth (TAY) with chronic health conditions frequently experience co-occurring mental health conditions. However, little is known about the perspectives of TAY with co-occurring diagnoses preparing to exit pediatric health and mental health services. Research is needed to understand the impact of a mental health condition on transition readiness and self-management in TAY with chronic health conditions. Methods TAY (aged 16–20 years) with co-occurring chronic health and mental health conditions were recruited in Alberta, Canada. Nine semi-structured individual interviews were completed by phone or videoconference, and transcribed verbatim. Guided by qualitative description, we analyzed the data using thematic analysis in partnership with five young adults with lived experience in the health/mental health systems. Results Participants shared their experiences living with simultaneous physical and mental health concerns and preparing for transition to adult care. Our analysis revealed three overarching themes: 1) “they’re intertwined”: connections between chronic health and mental health conditions in TAY, 2) impact of mental health on transition readiness and self-management, and 3) recommendations for service provision from the perspectives of TAY. Conclusions Our findings highlighted the myriad ways in which physical and mental health are connected as TAY prepare for service transitions using specific examples and powerful metaphors. TAY endorsed the importance of providers discussing these connections in routine clinical care. Future research should involve co-designing and evaluating educational material addressing this topic with diverse TAY, caregivers, and service providers.