Open AccessTransitioning Adolescents and Young Adults with a Chronic Health Condition to Adult HealthCare – An Exemplar Program
Author(s) -
Kaufmann Rauen Karen,
Sawin Kathleen J.,
Bartelt Tera,
Waring William P.,
Orr Merle,
Corey O'Connor R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
rehabilitation nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.355
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2048-7940
pISSN - 0278-4807
DOI - 10.1002/rnj.74
Subject(s) - health care , general partnership , adult care , young adult , scope (computer science) , medicine , spina bifida , chronic disease , health professionals , medline , quality of life (healthcare) , psychology , nursing , family medicine , gerontology , pediatrics , finance , computer science , economics , programming language , economic growth , political science , law
Pediatric specialists have successfully improved the longevity and quality of life of many children with chronic health conditions. As these children reach adolescence and young adulthood, the scope of their concomitant medical problems often include those typically seen in older patients. As a result, these individuals need continuing quality health care in focused adult healthcare facilities. This article describes the effective partnership between pediatric and adult healthcare providers to create and implement an exemplar Spina Bifida Transition Program. The processes, strategies and tools discussed are likely to be useful to other healthcare professionals interested in developing pediatric to adult transition programs for adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions.