Are you transitioning or have you transitioned out of pediatric care?
Transitioning over to adult care is a standard facet of growing up. It’s an important step toward independence and making decisions for yourself. After all, this is your body.
It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions during this time—and there’s support available to help you with the adjustment. It is a gradual, step-by-step process not a one-time switch. Typically, discussions about transition begin around age 13 with your pediatric healthcare team.
The move could take place between your 16th and 18th birthday (there is no hard and fast rule). You can expect to work together with your pediatric doctors and team to develop a plan to move to adult care. Think of it as a dialogue.
Conversations focus on:
- Where you will receive care as an adult.
- Which new doctors, nurses, and staff will be looking after you.
- Whether to switch hospitals or receive care from a new area of the same hospital.
Yes, there are changes in your teens and twenties, but many things remain the same. It’s always important to stay connected with family and friends and other patients for support. It’s still important to do your research to be in-the-know so you can ask informed questions of your doctor and other specialists.
And it’s super important to stay positive. You’ve got this.
Questions You Can Ask:
- What will the transition process to adulthood care look like?
- Who will be my main doctor?
- What will happen to my treatment now that I’m moving to adulthood care?
- What should I do if I forget to take my treatment?
- How should I manage a flare-up of symptoms?
- How do I need to monitor PFIC?
- What should I share with my parents about my PFIC/treatment?
Check out the Boston Children’s Hospital “One Step at a Time” guide. We like this guide because it is easy to follow and has a great worksheet at the end to stay organized.
These resources were created for patients and families in the Boston area, but much of the information contained here is general and will be of value to all patients.
* Be sure to ask your doctor if your hospital has its own adult transition program.
There is another entire website that aims to help youth and young adults move from pediatric to adult health care. Read about their six core elements and access additional resources at the website.
In the United Kingdom, the Ready Steady Go program (or programme) is an excellent educational resource for teenagers moving to adult services. Many of the principles are the same across geographies and the content is offered in several languages.