Just TRAC It! Transitioning Responsibly to Adult Care Using Smart Phone Technology

Many adolescents and young adults living with chronic health conditions lack knowledge about their medical condition and confidence communicating with health care providers. Despite various positions statements on transition by the Canadian Pediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, there is limited evidence on the impact and effectiveness of transition interventions. Due to the convenience and accessibility of technology, adolescents embrace technology-based interventions to aid in their disease management and to improve their transition experience. However, there is a paucity of evidence-based apps in contrast to countless existing apps that are not evidence-based, which act as a barrier to physicians prescribing them. There is a pressing need for credible evidence on the effectiveness and value of health apps in improving self-management skills in adolescents.

Instead of redesigning a mobile app, the Just TRAC It! encourages youth to use existing functions on their personal phones to track their health information. This information is easily retrievable when visiting health care providers and can help youth take ownership in managing their own health. This free option, using the technology already on most phones, can be used for any patient population or disease category. The use of Just TRAC It! allows youth to electronically document all medical information that would previously be printed on their MyHealth Passport, but may offer additional functionality in terms of learning to manage their health. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of Just TRAC It! on improving patient knowledge, self-management skills, and transition readiness.

The Stollery Children's Hospital is an international leader in pediatric to adult cardiology transition research, with two randomized clinical trials completed (CHAPTER 1 Trial, Mackie et al, Heart 2014 and CHAPTER 2 Trial, Mackie et al, BMC Cardiovascular 2016) and a 3rd in progress. The Just Trac It! Trial is an extension of our prior work. The results of the CHAPTER 1 Trial inform the current standard of care for transition interventions currently offered to all 16-18 year olds in our program who have had prior cardiac surgery, and this standard of care is the "usual care" (control) group for the Just Trac It! Study.

Inclusion criteria

• 16-18 year olds with moderate or complex CHD, or acquired heart disease requiring surgery (e.g., rheumatic heart disease, prior endocarditis, prior valve replacement, Marfan's syndrome) who are followed at the Stollery Children's Hospital.

Exclusion criteria

• less than grade 6 level of reading and comprehension based on parent report
• heart transplantation, as this results in distinct health challenges
• does not have a personal mobile device, as this is required for the Just TRAC It! intervention