Transition From Pediatric to Adult Healthcare for Colorectal Conditions: A Systematic Review
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Key Takeaways
- Transitional care for anorectal malformations and Hirschsprung's disease should begin early in adolescence, not at age of transfer.
- Current literature shows no standardized models exist for pediatric-to-adult colorectal care transition.
- Systematic review of 8 studies reveals transitions are poorly coordinated and often delayed beyond optimal timing.
- Patients with congenital colorectal conditions risk care gaps during transfer from pediatric to adult providers.
- Evidence gap exists: more research needed to develop effective transition protocols for lifelong colorectal management.
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Transcript
Patients with anorectal malformations and Hirschrung's disease at some point need a transfer from pediatric to adult providers to help manage their colorectal conditions. What does the current literature say about how we are doing at this transition? I'm Alex Halpern, a research fellow from Children's National, and this is an article that you should know. The team from Melbourne, Australia performed a systematic review and meta-analysis trying to answer this question. They found 8 studies on this topic. These studies agreed that transitional care should start early in adolescence and found little evidence that this transfer is happening in a coordinated or timely fashion. No models of transition care were identified. So, it seems like more work is needed to ensure that these children with anorectal malformations and Hirschbung's disease continue to receive optimal care as they grow older. Does this information change your practice at all? Let us know what you think in the comments below.