Transition is defined as ‘the purposeful planned movement of adolescents and young adults with chronic physical and medical conditions from child-centred to adult oriented health care systems’.41
Some adolescents and young people in brain injury specialist rehabilitation will transition from child-centred to adult oriented healthcare systems.
Ensuring a seamless transfer and transition from children’s to adult healthcare services is necessary to achieve improved health outcomes for young people. Good seamless transfer and transition from children’s to adult healthcare services can lead to:
- better functional outcomes such as increased adherence, improved self-management and knowledge of their condition and improved wellbeing
- better access to appropriate health services for young people with a chronic condition
- improved morbidity and mortality rates
- a reduction in avoidable hospital admissions.
Everyone involved has a part to play to effectively transition adolescents and young people from child-centred to adult oriented healthcare systems.
- The young person – by identifying and working on areas of their life where they could gain further independence.
- Families – by helping them to identify areas that they may need some help with and encouraging them to make decisions by offering choices in a number of areas of their life.
- Clinicians – by being open, transparent and collaborating. Also being willingly to work together with the young person and gradually increase their responsibility for their decisions
- Case manager – helping the young person with goal setting, advising on possible services, educating the young person and their family about the transition process and helping the young person become more independent.