Transition from pediatric to adult care after solid organ transplantation

The transition of healthcare for young people with solid organ transplants as they move into adult-centered services has become more significant over recent years as survival has improved. This review examines evidence from recent studies and position statements to determine the current issues relating to transition and transplantation.

Although there is a universal agreement of the philosophy of transitional care, there is suboptimal adherence to published guidance across disciplines. Similarly, a lack of routine adolescent health screening emphasizes the need for adolescent medicine within transition programs. Interesting preliminary work addressing other aspects of the process transition, namely adherence assessment and promotion and self-management training, awaits data from larger controlled trials.

There is now no doubt in the need for transitional care, but further research is required into the objective evaluations of interventional models, the determinants of transition readiness and the multidimensional assessment of outcome. This factor is true for any chronic condition, and clinicians and researchers should ensure that they look outside their 'specialty box' from time to time and take advantage of the wealth of experience of and evidence from others in the transitional care arena. If we want to move transitional care research forward, collaboration is the key!