Transition describes the process of transferring from paediatric health care to adult health care. Despite much recent evidence on transition, further gaps are still remaining and there is continuous improvement to be achieved.
If children or adolescents with rare diseases require further medical care, treatment or follow-up later in (young) adulthood, transition to adult medicine is required – the aim is to avoid an often occurring situation of “lost in transition”, as discussed in this German article.
For this purpose, three publications are referred to, these were published between 2011 and 2022 and deal with international concepts and recommendations for the transition from paediatric medicine to adult medicine. Accordingly, the article provides a new transition pathway of care for young patients from the age of 12 years and older. The path consists of four steps, thus defining the transition as a whole process. Several people are involved in this process: the patients themselves, their parents, the contact persons of rehab, and, very importantly, an interdisciplinary team from the disciplines of medicine, psychology, nursing and social work.
Recommendations and suggestions based on the article are to be adapted to the specific needs of the patient and the given possibilities.
