Metro North Adolescent and Young Adult Kidney Clinic

Aim

To:

• develop a model of care to support best practice care for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) with kidney disease living in Metro North Hospital and Health Service (HHS) catchment area
• deliver an AYA kidney clinic for Metro North HHS
• evaluate the performance and outcomes of the AYA clinic to determine ongoing requirements and scope.

Benefits

1. improved health outcomes for adolescents and young adults with kidney disease
2. improved kidney health service capability
3. greater access to care close to home
4. reduced health system costs associated with poor health outcomes and transplant failure

Background

The project took advantage of an opportunity to partner with Transplant Australia and the Sony Foundation to implement the Oxford-London model for improving the poor outcomes associated with the transition from paediatric to adult care for AYA with a kidney transplant (Harden et. al. 2012).

It builds on Managing your care: A guide to help young people transition from Queensland Children’s Hospital to adult kidney care and was developed alongside Optimising Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Care in Queensland Strategy

Discussion

The project has a formal evaluation plan and will be evaluated following 12 months of clinic operation (late 2023).

Lessons learnt

Lessons learnt will be compiled as part of the evaluation.

References

1. Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Managing your care: A guide to help young people transition from Queensland Children’s Hospital to adult kidney care. 2021, State of Queensland.
2. Cornish, S., Macauley, L., Jesudason, S. and Murphy, L., Kidney Health Australia Youth Program – State of the Nation Report. 2019: Melbourne.
3. Harden, P.N. and S.N. Sherston, Optimal management of young adult transplant recipients: the role of integrated multidisciplinary care and peer support. Ann Saudi Med, 2013. 33(5): p. 489-491.
4. Harden, P.N., Walsh, G., Bandler, N., Bradley, S., Lonsdale, D., Taylor, J., Marks, S. D., Bridging the gap: an integrated paediatric to adult clinical service for young adults with kidney failure. BMJ, 2012. 11(jun01 1): p. 16-e3718.
5. Kidney Health Australia, Consensus Statement: Improving outcomes for adolescents and young adults with kidney disease. 2019, Kidney Health Australia.
6. Levine, M.H., Reese, P.P., Wood, A., Baluarte, J.H., Huverserian, A., Naki, A., Abt, P.L., Inferior Allograft Outcomes in Adolescent Recipients of Renal Transplants From Ideal Deceased Donors. Annals of surgery, 2012. 255(3): p. 556-564.
7. Queensland Child and Youth Clinicial Network, Optimising Adolescent and Young Adult Care in Queensland: A Statewide Strategy. 2022, State of Queensland.
8. Queensland Child and Youth Clinicial Network, Queensland Child and Youth Clinical Network Position Statement: Adolescent and Young Adult Care 2021, State of Queensland.
9. Tong, A.P., Henning, P. F., Wong, G., McTaggart, S., Mackie, F., Carroll, R. P., Craig, J., Experiences and Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults With Advanced CKD. American Journal of Kidney Disease, 2013. 61(3): p. 375-384.
10. Tong, A.P., Wong, G., McTaggart, S., Henning, P. F., Mackie, F., Carroll, R. P., Howard, K., Craig, J., Quality of Life of Young Adults and Adolescents with Chronic Kidney Disease. Journal of Pediatrics, 2013. 163(4): p. 1179-1185.e5.
11. Watson, A.R., Harden, P., Ferris, M., Kerr, P. G., Mahan, J., Ramzy, M.F., Transition from pediatric to adult renal services: a consensus statement by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA). Pediatric Nephrology, 2011. 26(10): p. 1753-1757.

Further Reading

ABC News published an article about the clinic and spoke to the clinicians and patients involved: Brisbane kidney disease clinic providing safe space for young people 'at highest risk' .