An Evaluation of an Australian Pediatric Neuromuscular Transition Model

Background

After receiving a diagnosis of a neuromuscular condition, patients have to make their way through a convoluted network of community and state resources as health care shifts from being family and child centered to adult focused. This study examined the barriers to successful transition from patient and clinician perspectives.

Methods

Adolescents with a primary diagnosis of a neuromuscular condition who were aged 16 years and over in Queensland, Australia, and who had started the transition process were eligible. Surveys were collected over six months and statistics used to characterize survey responses.

Results

There was a high degree of anxiety reported about the transition, with almost 50% of patients and families surveyed reporting concerns about moving across to the adult hospital system. The main barriers to effective transition identified by clinicians were limited time (84%), clinic space (58%), and a lack of an identified transition coordinator (79%).

Conclusions

This study has provided a checklist to assist patients with neuromuscular disorders in transitioning from pediatric to adult care. A new model has been developed to enable a slow, personalized transition that is led by a multidisciplinary team.