LAUSR

Barriers to Effective Transitions of Care from Adolescent to Adult Medicine Kehinde Eniola, MD, MPH Awell-planned and structured transition process of adolescents (ie, individuals ages 10–19 years of age as defined by the World Health Organization) to adult medicine should occur no later than ages 18 to 21 years. This transition of care (ie, structured and planned transfer) from adolescent medicine to adult medicine for chronic medical conditions and routine checkups is becoming more challenging, however. Approximately 20% of adolescents in the United States are affected by chronic medical and mental health diseases (ie, diabetes mellitus type 1, depression, eating disorders), requiring ongoing primary care. A lack of a planned and structured transition process from adolescent to adult medicine can lead to care gaps, poor health outcomes, and poor patient or parent satisfaction.