Application of transitional care in older adults: A bibliometric analysis

Global aging populations face complex healthcare challenges, including chronic diseases, multimorbidity, and fragmented care transitions. Transitional care has emerged as a critical strategy to address these issues, yet research disparities persist across countries, with limited understanding of global trends and collaboration patterns.

This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to map the evolution of transitional care research for older adults over two decades (2004-2024), identify research hotspots, and highlight gaps in global contributions and collaboration.

A total of 4996 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric tools (VOSviewer, CiteSpace, SCImago Graphica, Pajek) analyzed publication trends, country/institutional contributions, journal distributions, keyword co-occurrence, and co-cited reference.

Publications grew exponentially from 57 (2004) to 476 (2024). The United States dominated research output (41.7 %), with eight of the top 10 institutions and seven of the top 10 authors based there. The top countries/regions contributed papers exceeding 95.00 %, with most originating from developed nations. Keyword analysis revealed enduring focus on chronic disease management and emerging trends like telehealth and geriatric medicine. Core journals bridged foundational and applied research, with dual citation pathways in clinical medicine and public health. Seminal works by Naylor and Coleman shaped the field, while recent clusters emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration and systemic care gaps.

Although transitional care research has grown significantly, systemic inequities persist, with the majority of studies originating from developed countries.. Limited representation of low- and middle-income countries risks perpetuating contextually mismatched interventions. Future efforts must prioritize inclusive global partnerships, context-sensitive models for resource-limited settings, and addressing digital divides. Strengthening interdisciplinary integration and systemic optimization will enhance care quality for aging populations worldwide.