Around one in ten adolescents suffer from chronic conditions and disabilities, and the transition from paediatric to adult care can be particularly challenging. Unplanned transfers can complicate education, work and health and result in patients being lost to follow-up, poor treatment adherence and more frequent hospitalisation. The Adolescent Health and Medicine Working Group of the European Academy of Paediatrics has developed a consensus statement for a successful transition.
This statement will help paediatricians, adult care specialists, policymakers and other stakeholders to handle chronic care transitions so that they meet the expectations and needs of adolescents and their families.