Transitioning From Pediatric to Adult Health Care: Dropping Off the Face of the Earth

Abstract

The challenges faced by the young adults transitioning from pediatric to adult health care services are numerous and often daunting. They include characteristics of the patient and their family, pediatric and adult treatment teams, and institutional and health care systems policies. Although recognition of the issues and problems of transition has increased during the past decade, meaningful systematic changes have not occurred. Herein, the authors provide the background and general information necessary to better understand the difficulties associated with transition that affect many young adults. The challenges of transition are systematically presented and organized by patient, family, pediatric treatment team, adult treatment team, and institutional and system issues. Recommendations are provided for each of these areas, beginning with an emphasis on institutional and health care systems policy revisions that are a foundational and necessary element to build meaningful change. In addition, recommendations are provided that are specific to pediatric and adult health care teams, as well as patients and families. Suggestions are presented for needed research, and finally, conclusions and practical and applicable recommendations for pediatricians or adult health care providers are proposed.