Transition care for young adults with complex chronic conditions exiting pediatric care: Implications for primary care providers

Due to advances in medicine, more children with complex chronic conditions are living longer requiring them to transition into adult health services. The health care transition process can be inconsistent due to inadequate planning, poor service coordination or absent because of a lack of resources, and gaps in professional experience, education and training. This process is further complicated by the physical and psychosocial changes associated with adolescence. Such changes result in challenges with treatment and disengagement with care. For adolescent populations with a specific disease i.e. diabetes, focused transition programs exist that involve primary and specialist providers with expertise. However, in those with comorbidities transition programs are limited or absent resulting in young adults with complex chronic conditions leaving pediatric specialty services without a coordinated approach to their care.