Abstract
Purpose
International guidance on health-care transition has existed for over a decade; however,
many unanswered questions remain. This systematic review of reviews aimed to answer
the question: is a later age of transfer from pediatric to adult health care associated
with improved health and health service outcomes?
Methods
We included systematic reviews which considered at least one long-term condition and
provided outcome data from adult services. Methodology of primary studies was not
an exclusion criterion. We searched multiple databases and conducted an initial search
in May 2015 which was repeated in May 2017. All reviews were assessed for quality
using the Revised Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (R-AMSTAR) tool. Reviews
that scored less than 22 were excluded.
Results
Initial searches identified 6,149 papers. Forty-three reviews met exclusion and inclusion
criteria, and 15 reviews also met quality criteria. With one exception, primary studies
from reviews which only considered quantitative evidence found that a delayed age
of transfer resulted in improved outcomes. Qualitative and mixed-methods evidence
supported the view that age 18 was an appropriate time of transfer.
Conclusion
We found moderate evidence that models of transition which transfer young people in
late adolescence or early adulthood can improve transition outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 01, 2019
Accepted:
November 30,
2018
Received:
July 29,
2018
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.
