Transitional Care

Abstract

Advances in medicine have improved the outcomes for children with chronic diseases, and most children with special healthcare needs enter adulthood. Many, however, still require medical care for their chronic conditions, sequelae, and complications. The goal of transitional care is to maximize lifelong functioning and potential through the provision of high-quality, developmentally appropriate healthcare services that continue uninterrupted even when the individual moves from adolescence to adulthood. To achieve this goal, it is necessary for such individuals to start training for their own health management in adolescence or even earlier if possible. Checklists, which are tailored to patient age and intelligence, are valuable for disease comprehension. It is also important to support patient in any education and employment problems that they may face. Transition in patients with congenital heart disease has been a step ahead of those in other diseases. It is important to promote progress in transitional care not only in cardiology but also in other specialties in our country.