A Strategy for Optimization of Self-Care in the Treatment of Children and Young People After Liver Transplantation: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

To optimize self-care in the treatment of children and young people (CYP) after liver transplantation, intervention by healthcare professionals is necessary for both the CYP and their parents. Increasing evidence supports a comprehensive intervention strategy with dedicated individual time, but data on specific ways of involvement are limited. We explored specific and structured intervention strategies within the healthcare system in Japan to optimize self-care in treatment for CYP after liver transplantation by describing the best practices discussed by healthcare providers.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with six RN clinical transplant coordinators from six different facilities in Japan. We inquired about their collaborative interventions with other healthcare professionals for CYP after liver transplantation. Each interview was audio-recorded, and anonymized transcripts were qualitatively coded and analyzed.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed interventions to optimize self-care in CYP after liver transplantation, involving three core categories: invest in future young people, grounding autonomy from the start, employ a patient-centered approach to optimizing self-care in CYP after liver transplant, and optimize the environment as an enabling factor for self-care through CYP stage.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes a holistic approach to optimizing self-care in CYP after liver transplantation by integrating normative development with transplant therapy demands. It focuses on two key age groups: early childhood and adolescence, within a life course perspective.