Clinical Report: Establishing a Collaborative Respiratory Transition Framework

Background

The transition from pediatric to adult respiratory services is a significant challenge for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Poorly managed transitions can lead to loss of follow-up and adverse long-term health outcomes. Despite the importance of this transition, many healthcare systems lack standardized protocols, resulting in variability in care quality.

Data Highlights

No numerical data was provided in the source material.

Key Findings

• Transition from pediatric to adult care is often informal and lacks standardization.
• Many pediatric pulmonology programs do not have a formalized transition process.
• Patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis receive less organized transition support compared to those with cystic fibrosis.
• The absence of structured transition frameworks can lead to disengagement and poorer health outcomes.
• Clear timing and readiness criteria should govern the initiation of transition processes.

Clinical Implications

Healthcare providers should recognize the necessity of formalized transition pathways to ensure continuity of care for pediatric patients. Collaboration between pediatric and adult care teams is essential to enhance the quality of transitions.

Conclusion

Establishing a structured respiratory transition framework is crucial for improving care continuity and patient outcomes as adolescents move to adult healthcare services.

Related Resources & Content

1. Atlantic Health System, Advancing Pediatric Pulmonology at Atlantic Health: A New Level of Clarity for Complex Respiratory Cases, 2023
2. Pediatric Cardiology, Navigating Adulthood: Implementing a Customized In-Person Education Program for Transitioning Patients with Congenital Heart Disease, 2026
3. Intensive Care Medicine, Guidelines for Mechanical Ventilation in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients from the Paediatric Mechanical Ventilation Consensus Conference (PEMVECC), 2017
4. Frontiers in Pediatrics, Establishing Continuity of Care: A Model for Transitioning 2,341 Young Adults with Rare Diseases from Pediatric to Adult Services in China, 2026
5. European Respiratory Society, French consensus statement on transition of adolescent and young adults with rare pulmonary disease from paediatric to adult care: a Delphi method study, 2025
6. ScienceDirect, Standards for the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF); Planning for a longer life, 2024
7. JAMA Pediatrics, Effectiveness of Patient Navigation During Transition to Adult Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial, 2023
8. French consensus statement on transition of adolescent and young adults with rare pulmonary disease from paediatric to adult care: a Delphi method study | European Respiratory Society
9. Standards for the care of people with cystic fibrosis (CF); Planning for a longer life - ScienceDirect
10. Effectiveness of Patient Navigation During Transition to Adult Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial | Trials | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network