Feasibility of the TransitionED Framework for Youth and Young Adults With Eating Disorders

NCT07518641 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 19859
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Moving from pediatric (children's) health care to adult health care can be challenging for youth and young adults with eating disorders. Many young people and families report feeling unprepared, unsure of what to expect, and worried about losing support during this time. Gaps in care during this transition can increase stress and make recovery more difficult. This study is testing a structured transition support program called the TransitionED framework. The goal is to see whether this program can be successfully used in real hospital settings and whether youth, caregivers, and clinicians find it helpful. The TransitionED framework is designed to help youth and families prepare for the move to adult care. It includes:

1. 1.A transition planning package for youth
2. 2.A separate planning package for caregivers
3. 3.At least two guided transition meetings with a clinician
4. 4.A short "Personal Transition Profile" written by the youth to help new adult providers understand them better
5. 5.Optional virtual peer support sessions for youth and for caregivers
6. 6.Tools to help pediatric and adult providers communicate more clearly

Conditions

Eating Disorders in Adolescence; Transition of Care

Keywords

eating disorders; healthcare transitions; Transition to Adult Care; Adolescent health; Young adults; Paediatric to adult care; Continuity of care; Mental Health Services; Implementation science; Feasibility study; Mixed Methods; Clinical Practice guidelines; Transition readiness; TRAQ; Peer support; Eating disorder treatment; Knowledge translation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Acceptability

  Acceptability refers to the extent to which youth and young adults (YYA), caregivers, clinicians, and implementation team members perceive the TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework as appropriate, satisfactory, and useful. Acceptability will be assessed using qualitative interviews and focus groups conducted with participants following implementation of the framework. Interviews will explore participants' experiences with the framework, perceived usefulness, ease of use, perceived burden, and overall satisfaction with the transition support process.

  Post-intervention (approximately 8 weeks after enrollment) and at 6-month follow-up.

• Implementation Fidelity of the TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework

  Implementation fidelity refers to the extent to which the TransitionED framework is delivered as intended. Fidelity will be measured as the proportion of core intervention components delivered as planned, including completion of the Transition Planning Package, completion of the Personal Transition Profile, and delivery of clinician-facilitated transition meetings. Fidelity data will be collected using structured implementation tracking logs completed by clinicians and research staff.

  From enrollment through framework completion (approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment) and throughout the implementation period at each site.

• Practicality and Integration of the TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework

  Practicality and integration refer to the extent to which the TransitionED framework can be implemented within routine clinical workflows using existing clinical resources. This outcome will be assessed through clinician surveys and qualitative interviews examining feasibility of delivering the framework, perceived fit within existing clinical workflows, time required to deliver framework components, and barriers or facilitators to implementation.

  From enrollment through framework completion (approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment) and during the active implementation period at each site.

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Transition Readiness (TRAQ)

  Baseline (at enrollment), approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment, and 6 months post-enrollment.

• Eating Disorder Symptoms

  Baseline (at enrollment), approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment, and 6 months post-enrollment.

• Anxiety

  Baseline (at enrollment), approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment, and 6 months post-enrollment.

• Depression

  Baseline (at enrollment), approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment, and 6 months post-enrollment.

• Transition Outcomes

  Assessed at 6 months post-enrollment and following transfer to adult-oriented care (where applicable).

Study Arms (1)

TransitionED Framework

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive the TransitionED framework, a structured, guideline-informed healthcare transition approach for youth and young adults with eating disorders. The framework includes youth and caregiver transition planning packages, at least two clinician-led transition meetings (including coordination with adult providers), a youth-authored Personal Transition Profile to support information transfer, optional peer support sessions for youth and caregivers, and a communication guide to promote collaboration between paediatric and adult services. Framework delivery occurs approximately two months within routine clinical care.

Behavioral: TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework

Interventions

TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework BEHAVIORAL

The TransitionED Healthcare Transition Framework is a structured, guideline-informed, multi-component intervention designed to support youth and young adults with eating disorders transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Unlike standard transition practices, this framework integrates youth and caregiver transition planning packages, clinician-led structured transition meetings, a youth-authored Personal Transition Profile to support information transfer, optional peer support sessions, and a program-level communication and collaboration guide. The framework is embedded within routine clinical care and focuses on system-level coordination, readiness building, and continuity across pediatric and adult services.

Also known as: Transition Intervention, Transition Framework, Transition Materials

TransitionED Framework

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Youth and Young Adults (YYA):
• Currently receiving paediatric eating disorder care at a participating study site.
• Age 16 years or or older (approaching age-based transition to adult-care)
• Expressed interest in transitioning to adult eating disorder care or other appropriate adult mental health services
• Identified by the clinical team as appropriate to begin formal transition planning (e.g., sufficient transition readiness and interest in ongoing care)
• Able and willing to provide informed consent/assent (as applicable at the site) and participate in study procedures
• Caregivers:
• One caregiver (e.g., parent/legal guardian) of a participating YYA
• Able and willing to provide informed consent and participate in study procedures (including questionnaires and interviews)
• Clinicians (intervention deliverers):
• Patient facing clinician at a participating site who provides transition support for participating YYA/caregivers and is responsible for delivering intervention components (e.g., joint meeting(s), communication/coordination related to the transition).
• Able and willing to provide informed consent and participate in study procedures (e.g., focus groups)
• Implementation Team Members:
• Program leadership/managers/senior clinicians at a participating site involved in implementation of the intervention at that site.
• Able and willing to provide informed consent and participate in study procedures (e.g., focus group).

You may not qualify if:

• YYA:
• Not receiving pediatric eating disorder care at a participating site.
• Under age 16 years
• Does not express interest in transitioning to adult eating disorder care or other appropriate adult mental health services.
• Not identified by the clinical team as ready/appropriate to engage in formal transition planning during the study period (e.g., insufficient transition readiness or not currently at the transition-planning stage).
• Unable to provide informed consent/assent or unable to participate in study procedures (e.g., due to significant cognitive/communication barriers as determined by the clinical/research team).
• Caregivers:
• Not the caregiver of an enrolled YYA (only one caregiver per YYA is enrolled).
• Unable to provide informed consent or participate in study procedures.
• Clinicians and Implementation Team Members:
• Not affiliated with a participating site or not in an eligible role as defined above.
• Peripheral providers who may be involved in care but are not enrolled as participants (e.g., family physicians or adult providers who might attend a joint meeting).
• Unable to provide informed consent or participate in study procedures.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Calgary: collaborator
• McMaster Children's Hospital: collaborator
• McMaster University: lead
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada

Location

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8N3Z5, Canada

Location

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Jennifer Couturier, MD, MSc

  McMaster University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Georgina Dimitropoulos, MSW, PhD, RSW

  University of Calgary

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jennifer Couturier, MD, MSc

CONTACT

905-521-2100; coutur@mcmaster.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: No parties are masked in this study. This is an open-label feasibility study. Participants, care providers, investigators, and outcome assessors are aware of framework delivery.
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: This is a single-arm feasibility study in which all enrolled youth and young adult (YYA) + caregiver dyads receive the TransitionED framework. There is no randomization and no comparison group. The study uses a repeated measures design, with quantitative data collected at baseline, approximately 8 weeks post-enrollment, and 6 months later. Qualitative interviews and focus groups are conducted following framework delivery to assess acceptability, implementation, practicality, and integration. The primary aim is to evaluate feasibility of implementation within routine clinical care settings.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2026
• First Posted: April 8, 2026
• Study Start: May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2028
• Last Updated: April 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

CA (2)