The transition to adult-oriented healthcare services for youth with a chronic and/or complex physical, developmental and/or mental health condition is a process that begins prior to the actual transfer and does not stop once the transfer has occurred. Youth, their families, paediatric healthcare providers and adult healthcare providers all have an important role to play in the shared responsibility of patient care prior to and following the transfer of care.
The goals of planned healthcare transitions are to ensure high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and psychologically sound healthcare that is continuous, comprehensive and coordinated, before and throughout the transfer of youth into the adult system. In doing so, youth and, when appropriate, their families can learn to advocate effectively for themselves, maintain good health behaviors and use healthcare services to maintain their health and prevent secondary disability.
PCMCH’s resources and tools support a provincial approach to the transition of youth to adult-oriented services. These resources are generic rather than organization-, geography- and/or health condition-specific, so that they can be adapted for each person, patient population, organization and geographic location.
The recommendations and associated documents/resources/tools below have clinical applicability for paediatric and adult healthcare providers in helping youth and their families who will be, or have already been, transitioned to adult services.