An Innovative Transitional Care Unit for Hospital to Home Transition of Children With Medical Complexity: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: An Innovative Transitional Care Unit for Hospital to Home Transition of Children With Medical Complexity: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.
Authors: Haspels, Heleen N. (AUTHOR), Skomorowski, Nicole (AUTHOR), Joosten, Koen F. M. (AUTHOR), de Hoog, Matthijs (AUTHOR), van Woensel, Job B. M. (AUTHOR), van Karnebeek, Clara D. (AUTHOR), Alsem, Mattijs W. (AUTHOR)
Source: Child: Care, Health & Development. Mar2026, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p1-12. 12p.
Subjects: Emotion regulation, Psychological resilience, Children with disabilities, Diffusion of innovations, Research funding, Qualitative research, Control (Psychology), Self-efficacy, Professional ethics, Interviewing, Privacy, Parent attitudes, Judgment sampling, Psychological adaptation, Confidence, Psychological well-being, Continuum of care, Transitional care, Sound recordings, Research methodology, Child development, Psychological stress, Psychology of parents, Length of stay in hospitals, Social boundaries, Medical ethics
Geographic Terms: Netherlands
Abstract: Background: Hospital‐to‐home (H2H) transitions of children with medical complexity (CMC) are a multifaceted process with many challenges and obstacles, especially for parents. The 'Jeroen Pit Huis' (JPH) is a stand‐alone, innovative transitional care unit (TCU) that aims to improve the transition home. This study explored parents' experiences with the H2H transition via the JPH TCU setting, including the facilitators and barriers that shaped this process. Methods: A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted between January and November 2023. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Results: Twenty‐one parents (13 mothers and 8 fathers) of 14 CMC participated in 14 interviews. Inductive thematic analysis identified the following five interrelated processes shaping parental experiences: regaining control and confidence, emotional recovery and resilience, relational dynamics and family adaptation, navigating care systems, as well as child well‐being and development. Across these processes, parents reported key facilitators—grouped into the following four domains: TCU supportive environment, professional guidance and continuity, family and peer empowerment, as well as coordinated care systems. At the same time, barriers were described across four domains: privacy and boundaries, emotional and psychological strain, family equity challenges, as well as systemic and practical barriers. Conclusion: Parents experienced H2H transition via the TCU valuable for the well‐being and development of both their child and family. By capturing both facilitators and barriers, this study underscores the opportunities and challenges of a stand‐alone TCU and provides insights to inform the development of transitional care for CMC. Summary: A stand‐alone transitional care unit offers a crucial bridge between hospital and home for children with medical complexity and their families, combining skill‐building with family adaptation.Parents gained confidence and preparedness for home care through supervised training, practicing emergencies and continuous professional presence in a homelike setting.Psychosocial support, family togetherness and peer connections fostered emotional recovery and resilience, emphasizing the importance of nontechnical aspects of transitional care.Four key facilitators—supportive environment, professional guidance and continuity, family and peer empowerment and coordinated care systems—shaped positive transitional care experiences.Barriers such as privacy concerns, emotional strain, family equity challenges and systemic obstacles underline the need for clearer communication, role clarity and stronger cross‐system coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Child: Care, Health & Development is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 192463254
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: An Innovative Transitional Care Unit for Hospital to Home Transition of Children With Medical Complexity: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Haspels%2C+Heleen N%2E%22">Haspels, Heleen N.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Skomorowski%2C+Nicole%22">Skomorowski, Nicole</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Joosten%2C+Koen F%2E M%2E%22">Joosten, Koen F. M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22de+Hoog%2C+Matthijs%22">de Hoog, Matthijs</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22van+Woensel%2C+Job B%2E M%2E%22">van Woensel, Job B. M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22van+Karnebeek%2C+Clara D%2E%22">van Karnebeek, Clara D.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alsem%2C+Mattijs W%2E%22">Alsem, Mattijs W.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Child%3A+Care%2C+Health+%26+Development%22">Child: Care, Health & Development</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p1-12. 12p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotion+regulation%22">Emotion regulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+resilience%22">Psychological resilience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children+with+disabilities%22">Children with disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diffusion+of+innovations%22">Diffusion of innovations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Control+%28Psychology%29%22">Control (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-efficacy%22">Self-efficacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+ethics%22">Professional ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Privacy%22">Privacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+attitudes%22">Parent attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+adaptation%22">Psychological adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confidence%22">Confidence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+well-being%22">Psychological well-being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Continuum+of+care%22">Continuum of care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transitional+care%22">Transitional care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sound+recordings%22">Sound recordings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development%22">Child development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+stress%22">Psychological stress</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+parents%22">Psychology of parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Length+of+stay+in+hospitals%22">Length of stay in hospitals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+boundaries%22">Social boundaries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+ethics%22">Medical ethics</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Netherlands%22">Netherlands</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Hospital‐to‐home (H2H) transitions of children with medical complexity (CMC) are a multifaceted process with many challenges and obstacles, especially for parents. The 'Jeroen Pit Huis' (JPH) is a stand‐alone, innovative transitional care unit (TCU) that aims to improve the transition home. This study explored parents' experiences with the H2H transition via the JPH TCU setting, including the facilitators and barriers that shaped this process. Methods: A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted between January and November 2023. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Results: Twenty‐one parents (13 mothers and 8 fathers) of 14 CMC participated in 14 interviews. Inductive thematic analysis identified the following five interrelated processes shaping parental experiences: regaining control and confidence, emotional recovery and resilience, relational dynamics and family adaptation, navigating care systems, as well as child well‐being and development. Across these processes, parents reported key facilitators—grouped into the following four domains: TCU supportive environment, professional guidance and continuity, family and peer empowerment, as well as coordinated care systems. At the same time, barriers were described across four domains: privacy and boundaries, emotional and psychological strain, family equity challenges, as well as systemic and practical barriers. Conclusion: Parents experienced H2H transition via the TCU valuable for the well‐being and development of both their child and family. By capturing both facilitators and barriers, this study underscores the opportunities and challenges of a stand‐alone TCU and provides insights to inform the development of transitional care for CMC. Summary: A stand‐alone transitional care unit offers a crucial bridge between hospital and home for children with medical complexity and their families, combining skill‐building with family adaptation.Parents gained confidence and preparedness for home care through supervised training, practicing emergencies and continuous professional presence in a homelike setting.Psychosocial support, family togetherness and peer connections fostered emotional recovery and resilience, emphasizing the importance of nontechnical aspects of transitional care.Four key facilitators—supportive environment, professional guidance and continuity, family and peer empowerment and coordinated care systems—shaped positive transitional care experiences.Barriers such as privacy concerns, emotional strain, family equity challenges and systemic obstacles underline the need for clearer communication, role clarity and stronger cross‐system coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Child: Care, Health & Development is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192463254
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/cch.70253
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Emotion regulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological resilience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children with disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Diffusion of innovations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Control (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-efficacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professional ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Privacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological adaptation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Confidence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological well-being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Continuum of care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transitional care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sound recordings
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological stress
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Length of stay in hospitals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social boundaries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Netherlands
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: An Innovative Transitional Care Unit for Hospital to Home Transition of Children With Medical Complexity: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Haspels, Heleen N.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Skomorowski, Nicole
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Joosten, Koen F. M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: de Hoog, Matthijs
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: van Woensel, Job B. M.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: van Karnebeek, Clara D.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Alsem, Mattijs W.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: Mar2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 03051862
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 52
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Child: Care, Health & Development
              Type: main
ResultId 1