A new clinical report, released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Physicians and published in Pediatrics, provides guidance for clinicians on important elements of transitioning all youth and young adults from pediatric to adult health care. Patience White, MD, emeritus professor of medicine and of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was the lead author of the report.
The “Supporting the Health Care Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home” report also updates an earlier joint report released in 2011.
“This new 2018 clinical report is an exciting extension of the thoughtful work of the AAP, AAFP, and ACP to offer practical assistance to their members regarding needed transition services for adolescent and young adult patients. It also identifies where further work is needed in the transition field,” White said in a statement.
According to the National Survey for Children’s Health, only 15 percent of youth with and without special health care needs receive transition planning assistance from their health care providers.
The updated report covers an evidence-informed health care transition process called the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition, developed by Got Transition. It aims to guide clinicians in the development of transition services and improve transition processes in many health care and educational settings. It provides tools that can be customized by individual practices, and clarifies roles of various health professionals in the transition process.
The report also reviews common transition barriers and preferences by youth, young adults, families, and pediatric and adult clinicians, as well as outcome evidence for successful transition and recommendations in the areas of infrastructure, education and training, research, and payment.
