Have you or a loved one lived with a chronic health condition in late adolescence or young adulthood? Perhaps it is more common than you’d expect. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health data query, an estimated 25-35% of transition age youth and young adults (ages 12 to 26) in the United States have one or more chronic health conditions [1, 2]. And yet for many—particularly those with complex medical conditions—the transition to adulthood is a time marked by vulnerability and risk for poor health outcomes. On today’s episode, we explore how our health system can best support transition of care from childhood to adulthood. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Janet Ma, Dr. Becca Tsevat, and Dr. Susan Duan, expert clinical instructors in UCLA’s Internal Medicine and Pediatrics program, who each have a special interest in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.

References:

[1] McManus M, White P, Schmidt A, Barr M, Langer C, Barger K, Ware A. Health care gap affects 20% of United States population: Transition from pediatric to adult health care. Health Policy Open. 2020 May 27;1:100007. doi: 10.1016/j.hpopen.2020.100007. PMID: 37383315; PMCID: PMC10297759.

[2] Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. Center for Child and Adolescent Health; Baltimore, MD: 2016-2017. National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data query

Selected resources:

- Got Transition, the national resource center on healthcare transition (HCT): https://www.gottransition.org/

- Six Core Elements™ to healthcare transition: https://www.gottransition.org/six-core-elements/

Credits: Kalei Hosaka recorded the original music, designed the cover art, and edited the podcast.