Trust launches online hub to support adolescents and young people
Consultants at Imperial College Healthcare have launched an online e-learning resource – the 11to25 hub – to support young people as they move from youth to adult healthcare services.
Adolescents and young adults face significant challenges in managing their health during a time of physical and emotional change in their lives. These challenges are even more pronounced for those who live with long-term conditions, as they learn to navigate our complex healthcare system.
Supported by funding from Imperial Health Charity, the 11to25 hub offers easily accessible information and resources to help adolescents and young people through this important transition. Designed with input from young people themselves, the hub is aimed at 11-to-25s as well as those who may be supporting them – such as family members, teachers and healthcare workers.
This practical e-learning tool will help 11-25s understand their unique challenges and needs, while offering support and advice about their education and employment rights. The hub includes 11 short modules, enriched by the personal experiences of young people, parents and healthcare professionals in the form of short digital stories.
Young people using the site said it had helped to make healthcare information more accessible, using the experiences of real people to explain complicated situations.
It’s hoped the 11to25 hub will lead to improvements in patient care, with parents, teachers and healthcare workers all empowered to better understand young people’s unique needs. It will also help 11-25s feel more confident looking after themselves, with the support of their family and peers.
Dr Claudia Gore, consultant in paediatric allergy and immunology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We’re so grateful to Imperial Health Charity for funding the 11to25 hub. In the first 12 months we’ve had more than 10,000 unique visitors and over 500,000 visits to the site, including some very positive feedback.
“On a daily basis, the hub is making a real difference in terms of the way I share information with young people and there is national interest in using this model. We now look forward to the next steps and hope to expand the 11to25 hub, with specific modules for young people who have a learning disability or autism.”
Hani Ahmad, Senior Grants Manager at Imperial Health Charity, said: “As the Trust’s dedicated charity, we’re proud to support innovative healthcare projects that help to improve the overall experience of care for patients at our hospitals. The 11to25 hub is a fantastic example of how we’re working in partnership with healthcare professionals to challenge traditional models of support by giving a voice to young people and putting them at the very centre of their own care.”
