For children with pediatric-onset chronic conditions, the relationships they form early on with their doctors and care team members often turn out to be among the most important connections of their young lives.
Years later, when those youth are on the cusp of adulthood and required to transition to adult care, the doctor-patient relationship becomes even more important, and thoughtful transition of care is critical. The growing field of transitional care encourages collaboration among doctors to help young patients effectively manage the shift from pediatric to adult care, to encourage those patients to play a greater part in their own health care, and to improve health care systems to make those transitions more seamless.