Transitional Care Interventions for Youth With Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Pediatric to Adult Transition
• Disability Care

Background:

• The transition from pediatric to adult healthcare is complex for individuals with childhood-onset disabilities.
• This process requires consideration of medical, psychosocial, educational, recreational, and vocational needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review evidence on transitional care interventions (TCIs).
• To assess the impact of TCIs on quality of life (QoL) for adolescents and young adults with childhood-onset disabilities, including neurodevelopmental disorders.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of four electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL).
• Included experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational studies of TCIs for individuals aged 12-24 with childhood-onset disabilities published in the last 26 years.
• Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias.

Main Results:

• Fifty-two studies were included, with significant heterogeneity in intervention characteristics and components.
• Only one of five studies reporting on QoL showed statistically significant improvements.
• Significant improvements were observed in secondary outcomes, including disability-related knowledge and transitional readiness.

Conclusions:

• Limited evidence suggests TCIs may not significantly improve QoL for youth with childhood-onset disabilities.
• TCIs show potential effectiveness in enhancing patient and provider outcomes.
• Early initiation of transition-focused care may improve long-term health outcomes for this population.