Guidelines Outlined to Ease Peds Transition to Adult Health Care

MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been updated to support the health care transition from adolescence to adulthood, according to a clinical report published online Oct. 22 in Pediatrics.

Patience H. White, M.D., from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and colleagues updated the 2011 clinical report relating to the transition from pediatric to adult health care to include guidance on elements of transition planning, transfer, and integration into adult care.

The authors provide principles for health care transition that emphasize the importance of a youth-centered, strength-based focus; self-determination, self-management, and family and/or caregiver engagement; and acknowledgement of individual differences and complexities. The need for early and ongoing preparation is emphasized, as is the importance of shared accountability, effective communication, and care coordination between pediatric and adult clinicians. To meet the needs of young adults, new recommendations have been developed in the realms of infrastructure, including clinicians and systems of care needed to prepare youth for the transition; education and training, such as enhanced training opportunities; payment, including compensation of clinicians and systems of care for provision of health care transition support; and research to promote a stronger evidence base for health care transitions.

“Youth do not instantly become adults when they turn age 18,” Michael Munger, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said in a statement. “It is important to continue to build self-care skills and greater engagement in care with young adults.”

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