NEEDS STATEMENT
Skill preparation and planning for healthcare transition for children and youth with special healthcare needs is inadequate. Less than 50 percent of families nationwide indicate that their children with special healthcare needs have received the services necessary to make appropriate transitions to adult healthcare, work, and independence. One of the major hurdles to receiving this care is the lack of a workforce, including physicians, nurses, social workers, mental health providers and all who provide services to youth and young adults with special healthcare needs trained to provide the services necessary to make the healthcare transition. There is a strong need for physicians to have the knowledge and skills to provide the services needed to facilitate a successful transition from pediatric to adult-based care and services.
Because of increased awareness of transitioning to adult-based care, clinicians are required to update their knowledge of the changing strategies for integrating emerging adult-based care into practice.
For all conference participants, there will be a discussion of the legal issues involved in healthcare transition, as well as time to meet and talk with faculty in small groups, to exchange ideas among participants, and to share knowledge and information about how best to plan for a successful transition to adulthood.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Physicians in internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, psychiatry, and physiatry; other healthcare providers including psychologists, social workers, nurses, dietitians, case managers, counselors, and primary care providers; and youth and young adults who have a chronic illness or disability and their parents or guardians.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of the conference, participants should be able to:
- Identify an example of the structure, processes, evaluation and outcomes of a subspecialty transition program based in a large children's hospital
- Compare and contrast the advances in HCT services for adolescents and young adults with psychiatric illness
- Discuss payment issues for HCT services
- Describe the legal and ethical issues involved in HCT for adolescents and young adults with special health care needs
- Summarize the importance of health literacy in the transition from pediatric to adult based care
- Address medication adherence using motivational interviewing
- Discuss the challenges and advantages around treatment of anxiety and depression during the transition from pediatric to adult based care
- Discuss how to improve mental health outcomes in individuals with intellectual disabilities
EDUCATIONAL METHODS
Lectures ▪ Breakout Sessions ▪ Question and Answer Sessions
ACTIVITY EVALUATION
Evaluation by questionnaire will address program content, presentation, and possible bias.