For children with urologic disorders, the relationships they form early on with their urologists often turn out to be among the most important connections of their young lives.
Years later, as those children approach adulthood and their condition takes on new levels of urological, psychosocial and sexual importance, the patient-urologist relationship becomes even more important. It is critical for care to be thoughtfully transitioned as the patient moves from pediatric to adult urology.
The growing field of transitional urology aims to effectively manage the shiftfrom pediatric to adult care, encouraging young adults to play a leading role in their own health care.
Daniel Wood, MD, PhD, who helped to pioneer the practice of transitional urology in London, came to the Division of Urology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in September 2021 to build a transitional urology team at Children’s Hospital Colorado and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.
We spoke to Wood about the concept of transitional urology and why it’s so important to have a thoughtful transfer of care between childhood and adulthood.