Transition of Care in Congenital Disease: Allaying Fears for Patients and Specialists

Abstract

Advances in the care of infants and children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have resulted in significantly improved survival of this population into adulthood. Although the majority of patients with CHD have undergone surgical intervention or transcatheter intervention, patients are not "cured" and almost all require lifelong cardiac care. In many parts of the world, robust systems of care have been developed for infants and children with CHD. Although there has been progress in the development of programs for the care of adults with CHD, the time of transition and transfer of care remains a time of high risk for lapses in care and becoming lost to follow-up. Transition is a process of education and preparation for young patients to assume their own care as they enter adulthood, while transfer is the actual event of a patient moving their care from a pediatric to an adult environment. The purpose of this review is to summarize what is known of best practices related to the transition and transfer of patients with CHD to adult services and to provide a practical approach to the sometimes daunting task of preparing patients for the transfer of care.

Keywords: Adult congenital heart disease; Congenital heart disease; Transition.