Novel Retrospective Perspectives of Healthcare Transitions From Emerging Adults With Chronic Conditions: A...

As more youth with chronic conditions transition from pediatric- to adult-focused care, there is a critical need for healthcare transition practices and policies to evolve to fulfill unmet needs. To accomplish this, we sought to understand healthcare transition experiences and gaps in services provided from the perspectives of emerging and older young adults living with diverse chronic conditions who had already transferred to adult-focused care.

We utilized an online REDCap survey to collect descriptive, retrospective data of healthcare transition experiences from 45 emerging (18-29 years) and older young adults (aged 30+ years) with chronic conditions. Descriptive statistics were used to assess survey responses.

Most respondents were aged 20-25 years (44.4%), female sex (75.6%), and White race (75.0%). Respondents reported unmet needs related to referrals to adult providers, services to support education, employment, community living, and self-management.

We found substantial gaps between recommended healthcare transition best practices and actual services provided to this at-risk population. These health care transition service gaps raise concerns about care continuity, long-term health outcomes, and quality of life during this critical developmental stage.

Our novel findings indicate a critical need for more comprehensive, psychologically supportive, and developmentally appropriate healthcare transition planning for emerging and older young adults with chronic conditions. Advanced practice pediatric nurses are uniquely positioned to close these gaps in care through transition planning, advocacy, and care coordination efforts in pediatric-focused care settings. Patient-centered care, such as providing services to address unmet socioeconomic needs, can also improve outcomes in this population.