Three practical principles in planning and developing health care transition: our personal perspectives

Health care transition (HCT) is defined as an uninterrupted, coordinated, developmentally appropriate, psychosocially sound, and comprehensive process that is needed to assist the transition of young people from child to adult-centered care. Its importance has been discussed in pediatrics over the past decades but it is still a challenging subject to realize. In this mini-review, the authors present their personal opinions on HCT. The following are their three core suggestions: (1) patient-centered support and monitoring; (2) hospital-centered infrastructures with key personnel; and (3) flexibility in planning and modifying HCT procedures. We believe our recommendations could apply to most of the pediatric endocrine disorders, which usually require lifelong follow-up. This approach will be verified in the future.