Evaluation of the Transitional and Lifelong Care Program
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: TLC Clinic.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Developmental Disability. Basic parameters: from 21 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Evaluating a Model of Transitional and Lifelong Care for Adults With Childhood-Onset Disabilities
Overview
The population cared for in the Transitional and Lifelong Care (TLC) clinic is youth and adults with childhood-onset disability, of which the large majority are adults with brain-based, neurodevelopmental conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and developmental disability. The TLC program was created to address the health inequities that have long existed for this population because of the gaps in care they experience once they transition from pediatric healthcare services to the adult healthcare sector. The TLC program offers coordinated and comprehensive management of co-occurring mental, social and physical health conditions for this group of adults with neurodiverse conditions. The proposed study will provide much needed evaluation of the TLC model as an intervention to provide transitional and lifelong care that reduces the barriers experienced because of the undefined clinic path - potentially more appropriately referred to as a "cliff" by a Freeman et al., (2015) - for these individuals. With appropriate evidence of effectiveness, scaling of the TLC program to other Ontario Health regions and more widely across Canada would improve access healthcare providers who are knowledgeable and competent in the management of physical and mental health conditions for adults with neurodiverse conditions as well as service integration and coordination between social and health sectors. The TLC clinic was co-designed with adults with neurodiverse conditions and health care providers in 2014 and represents a significant and sustainable change in the way healthcare has been delivered for this population in the Ontario Health West region over the last 7 years. More than 750 people have accessed coordinated and comprehensive care from Physiatrists, a Nurse Practitioner, Social Worker, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Registered Dietitian and Rehabilitation Therapist in the TLC program since it began, documenting the effectiveness of this care has the power to re-shape care received for adults with neurodiverse conditions that onset in childhood in Canada.
Interventions
- Other TLC Clinic
Patients of the TLC clinic - receive coordinated multidisciplinary and specialized care from a team
Primary outcome measures
- Patient Satisfaction [Time frame: Year 1]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Health Related Quality of Life (General) [Time frame: Year 1]
- Health Related Quality of Life (WHO) [Time frame: Year 1]
- Caregiver Burden [Time frame: Year 1]
- Perceived Support of Healthcare Providers [Time frame: Year 1]
- Economic Analysis [Time frame: Year 2]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
Each participant dyad will consist of one person, of either sex and gender, who is over the age of 21 years with a childhood-onset disability, and the primary caregiver (based on contact hours) or support person, of either sex and gender, involved in their care. In cases where the patient participant is independent with care, a spouse or family member may still participate in the caregiver portion of the study.
2\. Patient participants will have continuously resided in Ontario during the years of 2015 to 2020 to facilitate full data retrieval from the administrative dataset.
3\. Healthcare providers, of any discipline, who provide care to adults with childhood-onset conditions in the TLC program.
Exclusion criteria
Patient participants will be ineligible if they are in a phase of deterioration associated with a progressive health condition identified either personally or by the caregiver participant.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Parkwood Institute — London
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05849285 · 122419 · 184575