Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) often entails a need for health and social services throughout life. Upon scrutiny, it has been found that the transition from services for children and adolescents to services for adults is particularly challenging. The study investigates contact between adolescents with CP and their GPs/habilitative services up to and after the age of 18 years, and the percentage who have an individual habilitation plan (IHP).
Material and method: An attempt was made to identify all those with CP born in 1992 and 1993 and resident in southeast Norway. Seventy-four patients were included (time point I, interview and clinical examination). Forty-two (57%) responded at the follow-up examination (time point II, questionnaire).
Results: At time point I, 35 (47%) of the adolescents had consulted their GP in the past year, 49 (66%) had been in contact with the habilitative services, and 42 (57%) had an IHP. Twenty-eight (38%) used mobility aids. Use of mobility aids gave lower odds of consultation with the GP. Longer distances from home to the habilitative services gave lower odds of contact with both the GP and the habilitative services. Five adolescents with mobility aids did not have an IHP. At time point II, the percentage who had consulted their GP had increased somewhat, the percentage who had been in contact with the habilitative services had reduced, and the percentage who had an IHP was unchanged.
Interpretation: The findings reinforce the assumption that the health services provided to disabled adolescents are less locally based and less well coordinated than is supposed, and that there may be geographical differences in the service offered.