A Health Service Transition to Adult Patient Care for Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges related to long-term conditions, focusing on sickle cell disease (SCD) as a case study. Long-term conditions, characterized by the need for ongoing management, present a substantial burden on healthcare systems globally. A careful transition from pediatric to adult healthcare is needed for SCD. The discussion extends to the broader health service transition to adult patient care in SCD, emphasizing the World Health Organization’s definition of care transitions and the necessity for an integrated healthcare service. The emphasis is on a multidisciplinary approach to medical, mental health, and educational problems. A person-centered model of care should be used more consistently to resolve these long-term condition-related challenges. To evaluate the effectiveness of new interventions in improving the transition of care from pediatrics to adult patients with SCD, continuous quality improvement strategies should be implemented and prospectively measured in younger patients. In conclusion, this study highlights the critical importance of an effective transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. The continued research of effective transition practices is essential for the future and there is still a requirement to develop pragmatic approaches to enhance research on the transition to improve the quality of healthcare for patients with long-term conditions.