Transition of young people with chronic conditions: a cross-sectional study of patient perceptions before and after transfer from pediatric to adult health care.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to compare perceived barriers to and the most preferred age for successful transition to adult health care between young people with chronic disorders who had not yet transferred from pediatric to adult health care (pre-transfer) and those who had already transferred (post-transfer). In a cross-sectional study, we compared 283 pre-transfer with 89 post-transfer young people, using a 28-item questionnaire that focused on perceived barriers to transition and beliefs about the most preferred age to transfer. Feeling at ease with the pediatrician was the most important barrier to successful transition in both groups, but was rated significantly higher in the pre-transfer compared to the post-transfer group (OR = 2.

[Adolescent medicine: a rewarding challenge in private practice].

Age-appropriate medical care for adolescent patients encompasses a consultation style that is adapted to the developmental stage of the adolescent patient. Core elements of an age-appropriate consultation style include the possibility for the adolescent patient to talk alone with the physician for part of the time, and assurance of conditional confidentiality. This is the basis for a trusted doctor-patient relationship that supports patient adherence, and particularly when considering the adolescent's psychosocial circumstances as well.

Transition from pediatric to adult health care: expectations of adolescents with chronic disorders and their parents.

The aim of this study was to assess the expectations of adolescents with chronic disorders with regard to transition from pediatric to adult health care and to compare them with the expectations of their parents. A cross-sectional study was carried out including 283 adolescents with chronic disorders, aged 14-25 years (median age, 16.0 years), and not yet transferred to adult health care, and their 318 parents from two university children's hospitals.

How adult specialists deal with the principles of a successful transition.

Objectives: To evaluate whether adult specialists comply with the basic principles for a successful transition of adolescents with chronic disorders, and to determine whether the characteristics of the adult specialists have an influence on applying these principles.

Methods: Out of 299 adult specialists in four French-speaking Swiss cantons, 209 (70%) answered a paper-and-pencil mailed questionnaire between May and July 2007. Only those having received the transfer of at least one adolescent in the previous 2 years (N=102) were included in the analysis.

Transplacental metabolic alkalosis.

We present a newborn with hypochloraemic metabolic alkalosis due to severe metabolic alkalosis of his mother. Hypoventilation as a leading symptom resolved quickly with treatment but may be life-threatening if not detected. In this case, the mother had a probable eating disorder.

Communicating with young people.

Age-appropriate communication skills help health professionals to engage effectively with young people. These communication skills are a key element for improving adherence with the health care regimen in young people with respiratory conditions, particularly those with chronic disease. Age-appropriate communication skills and assurance of confidentiality enable the clinician to assess the young person's psychosocial development and to understand his or her burden of illness, which form the basis for negotiating age-appropriate therapeutic goals and strategies.