title: Health care transition for adolescents with special health care needs: a report on the development and use of a clinical transition service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A growing population of adolescents with special healthcare needs is aging into adulthood. These emerging adults face the transition challenges of their healthy peers but also potentially heightened risks and challenges related to their conditions. We describe the process of developing a pilot program to support healthcare services for emerging adults with chronic conditions and present preliminary data on utilization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An outpatient multidisciplinary consult model was developed based on patient, family and physician feedback. Patients with diverse conditions were equally referred from primary care, subspecialists and families and community agencies. Services provided included needs assessments (100%), referral to adult physicians (77%), care coordination (52%) and referrals to adult community services (10%). Clinical billing did not fully support the cost of providing services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pilot program offered multidisciplinary transition services that were utilized by a diverse patient population. Local and national resources for health care transition are provided.
authors: Program director for the medicine-pediatrics residency at Rhode Island and Hasbro Children's Hospitals and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: McLaughlin
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Bowering
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Crosby
authors: Jodie
authors: J
authors: Neukirch
authors: Eliza
authors: E
authors: Gollub
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Garneau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012237:Rhode Island; D060305:Transition to Adult Care; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescent; transition to adult care