The ON TRAC model for transitional care of adolescents

Abstract

This article describes the framework and clinical pathway for ON TRAC (Taking Responsibility for Adolescent/Adult Care), a model of transition care for adolescents with chronic health conditions, as applied to pediatric transplant transition. This model was developed in 1998 at Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia; it provides a multidisciplinary approach to developmentally appropriate transition planning and skill building. The model is youth focused and family centered, and includes stages of transition care on the basis of the developmental stages and capabilities of adolescents. Important considerations for healthcare providers, specific tools for use in clinical settings, and case studies illustrate the use of the ON TRAC model in a pediatric transplant clinic. The ultimate goal of transition in the ON TRAC model is for all adolescents to reach their attainable levels of independence, self-sufficiency, and self-worth while transferring safely and securely into adult healthcare services and adulthood.