Background: A successful transition from child-centred to adult-oriented healthcare for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer is essential to help them engage in lifelong surveillance in survivorship care. Information on their needs and preferences for the transition process is needed to identify key components for a successful transition.
Objective: To describe the transition needs and preferences of young cancer survivors, their parents, and healthcare providers.
Methods: Three in-person peer visits to best-practice long-term follow-up care centres in Europe were conducted. In these visits, the needs and preferences of young cancer survivors, their parents, and healthcare providers were collected through interactive sessions and structured documentation. The outcomes were analysed inductively using thematic analysis, resulting in a list of unique needs and preferences.
Results: Sixty-five participants, including 32 survivors, six parents, 21 healthcare providers, and six researchers, shared 188 needs and preferences, leading to the identification of 58 distinct transition needs and preferences. Participants stressed the need for structured, patient-centred transition processes with clear coordination and planning, following a holistic approach. Key support needs include lifestyle, psychosocial, and employment assistance. Improved access to reliable information, tailored education, and readiness-based transfers were emphasised.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for personalised and ongoing coordination and support for survivors and their families during transition. Strengthening informational and educational transition resources are crucial to address gaps experienced by patients and caregivers. These insights will be implemented into the evidence-based European transition guideline from the EU-CAYAS-NET project.
