Return to search

A Systematic Review of Care Continuity for Survivors of Early Onset Chronic Conditions

The need for transition of care for adult survivors of chronic conditions of childhood onset is an area that has received increasing attention in the healthcare literature; however, gaps in understanding and implementation persist. The complexity of transitioning from pediatric to adult care environments present numerous challenges for patients, their families, and health care providers. Ineffectual transitions can result in increased morbidity, a decline in quality of life, and unnecessary health care spending. The fundamental challenges in transitions of care for this population originates from a lack of institutional support to develop structured transition protocols. Healthcare institutions lack impetus to develop transition programs as their utility has not been sufficiently demonstrated because of inadequate research upon which to base clinical decisions. Therefore, patients transitioning from pediatric to adult care often confront difficulties ranging from fragmented care coordination to extended lapses continuous care, which can exacerbate the progression of their chronic conditions.
The primary aim of this study is to examine the current literature regarding the ability of pediatric to adult transition programs for survivors of chronic disease to determine whether they are effective in delaying disease progression. The secondary aim is to examine whether evidence exists to demonstrate cost effectiveness of such interventions. Subsequently we explore potential barriers to adoption for healthcare institutions to adopt pediatric to adult transition care programs on a broad scale.
This systematic review employs methodology to extract, analyze and synthesize data from relevant peer-reviewed articles, observational studies, and clinical trials. Preliminary findings indicate that improving transition protocols can indeed enhance patient outcomes, potentially reduce hospital readmissions, and may thereby be cost-effective for health care organizations.
We posit that providing optimized transitions of care during this vulnerable life stage could enhance patient outcomes for managing various chronic conditions of childhood onset supporting the argument that better transitions of care are not only desirable but also achievable and worthwhile goals for health care systems to adopt. By examining the intricacies of transitioning care for adult survivors of chronic conditions of childhood onset, we aim to open a critical dialog and make recommendations for future research and clinical practice that may significantly impact health care practices, models, and policies thereby potentially and significantly impacting health for adult survivors. / Urban Bioethics

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/10251
Date05 1900
CreatorsRosario, Roberto, 0000-0002-7696-1399
ContributorsTuohy, Brian
PublisherTemple University. Libraries
Source SetsTemple University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation, Text
Format70 pages
RightsIN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Relationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10213, Theses and Dissertations

Page generated in 0.0026 seconds