Developmental and disease-related influences on self-management acquisition among pediatric liver transplant recipients

Pediatric LT recipients are vulnerable to disruptions in their healthcare management and transitioning to self-managed care. This study aimed to examine whether age at transplant and indication for transplant (acute vs. chronic liver disease) influence later self-management skills. Sixty-three LT recipients, aged 14 and older (M = 17.68, s.d. = 3.01), were recruited and asked to complete a healthcare management survey, the Developmentally Based Skills Checklist, adapted for transplant patients, listing 22 behaviors that medically ill adolescents should progressively master. While there were no significant differences between those who received an LT owing to an acute disease vs. those who received an LT owing to a chronic disease, the age at which patients received their transplant did yield significant results, although, overall, these findings were attenuated by current age. However, our findings indicated that males transplanted at a younger age struggled with mastery over their healthcare responsibilities relative to males transplanted later and females in both age groups. There are many possible reasons why the experience of transplant at a younger age could negatively affect or derail healthcare transitions. Future research is necessary to further untangle this relationship; yet, it seems as though longer time living with LT may make transition harder for families.