None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will evaluate whether a brief online psychosocial screening questionnaire can help identify these concerns earlier and connect young people to appropriate support. Young people aged 13–25 years with a chronic illness receiving care through participating hospital services will be invited to take part. Participants will complete online questionnaires about their health, wellbeing, and experiences of care. Those allocated to the screening group will also complete a brief psychosocial screening questionnaire, with any identified concerns reviewed by the clinical team according to usual care pathways with support, referral and ongoing care as appropriate. The study aims to determine whether routine psychosocial screening and targeted follow-up improves wellbeing, quality of life, and access to support services for young people with chronic illness.
Interventions
The intervention is a brief, youth-friendly digital psychosocial screening process delivered as part of hospital-based care. Participants allocated to the intervention group will complete an online questionnaire designed specifically for this study assessing areas such as emotional wellbeing, social connection, safety, substance use, sexual health, practical support needs, and confidence managing their health. The questionnaire will be designed to be brief and take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes
The intervention is a brief, youth-friendly digital psychosocial screening process delivered as part of hospital-based care. Participants allocated to the intervention group will complete an online questionnaire designed specifically for this study assessing areas such as emotional wellbeing, social connection, safety, substance use, sexual health, practical support needs, and confidence managing their health. The questionnaire will be designed to be brief and take no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Responses indicating concern, risk, or a request for help will be reviewed by the clinical team, who will provide:: -appropriate follow-up, such as with an Adolescent and Young Adult Physician, -brief support such as information and/or counselling, -referral to an appropriate community service, hospital department or primary healthcare (GP), or, -escalation according to local clinical pathways, such as the acute mental health service. The screening is not diagnostic, but is intended to identify unmet needs early and improve connection to support Fidelity to the screening component will be monitored through REDCap audit data, which automatically captures screening offer rates, completion rates, and item-level response patterns across all sites. For the targeted support pathway, hospital notes will document the assessment, support offered, and referrals made, Participant experience of the intervention will be captured through the patient reported experience measure at follow-up
Sponsors
Mater Young Adult Health Centre
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
13 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. are aged 12 to 25 years at the time of enrolment; 2. have a clinician-diagnosed chronic physical health condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least 3 months and requires ongoing medical care, treatment, monitoring or self-management, and/or has a continuing impact on daily functioning; 3. are receiving care through a participating hospital-based inpatient, outpatient or emergency department service; 4. are able to complete the study questionnaires in English; 5. are able to provide informed consent, or, for participants aged under 18 years, provide assent with parent/guardian consent where required; 6. have access to an internet-enabled device or can complete the study questionnaires using a study-provided device where available.
Exclusion criteria
1. are medically unstable, acutely distressed, intoxicated, sedated or otherwise unable to engage with the consent process at the time of recruitment; 2. are unable to provide informed consent and, where required, parent/guardian consent cannot be obtained; 3. are unable to complete the study questionnaires in English; 4. do not have access to an internet-enabled device and a study device is not available; 5. have already been enrolled in the study; 6. are considered by the treating clinician or recruiting staff member to be inappropriate to approach because participation may interfere with urgent clinical care, safety, privacy or wellbeing.
Outcome results
None listed