The following is a summary of “Validation and Reference Scores of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire in Adolescent and Young Adult IBD Patients,” published in the September 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Gaalen, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to validate the Dutch version of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) and develop age-dependent reference scores for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to assess their readiness for transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

The TRAQ questionnaire consisted of 20 items rated on a scale of 1-5, distributed across five domains, with a total possible score of 100. The translation and validation of the Dutch version (TRAQ-NL) followed established guidelines. A Rasch model was used for structural validation, construct validity was assessed through hypothesis testing, and reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Reference scores were determined based on percentiles.

The study included 136 AYAs with IBD, with a median age of 17.5 years. Crohn’s disease was the predominant diagnosis (56%), and 58% of the participants were male. The overall mean item score was 3.87, with good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha 0.87). TRAQ-NL effectively differentiated between different knowledge levels, particularly in lower levels of knowledge. Transition readiness categories were defined based on TRAQ percentile scores: low, moderate, adequate, or excellent with TRAQ percentile scores (PC) <25th (<3.375 mean item score), 25th–50th (3.375–3.9), 50th–90th (3.91–4.7), or >90th (>4.7). Younger patients, those with additional health conditions, fewer visits to the transition clinic, and greater parental dependence were associated with significantly lower TRAQ scores.

The Dutch version of TRAQ (TRAQ-NL) was reliable and valid. Age-dependent percentile scores were developed to assess transition readiness among AYAs with IBD. TRAQ-NL can serve as a useful patient-reported outcome measure for monitoring transition readiness in routine care for these patients.

Source: journals.lww.com/jpgn/abstract/2023/09000/validation_and_reference_scores_of_the_transition.12.aspx