Closing the gap

Recommendation 3 The BC Ministry of Health and health authorities should develop a method for the identification and ongoing tracking of youth patients with complex and chronic illness to evaluate successful transition and long-term health outcomes. [...] Commitment 4 The BCMA will support the work of the joint committees and health authorities to provide practice support and training opportunities for specialists and family practitioners to develop appropriate skills and to manage the care of pediatric patients who transition into their care. [...] Commitment 7 In the case of patients with unique needs for which no specialist adult care provider is available, the BCMA will support pediatric specialists in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and health authorities to identify necessary supports for these patients or provide ongoing care until appropriate adult care is identified. [...] The purpose of a specified youth transition process is to provide uninterrupted, coordinated, developmentally appropriate, and psychologically sound health care to young adult patients as they age out of pediatric care and into the care of an adult health care provider (Adolescent Health Committee, 2007). [...] Given the current economic climate and the small population of BC, it behooves researchers and care providers to collaborate on and support the implementation and evaluation of transition models across care programs as small sample sizes are a limitation to identifying results.