American Society of Hematology Presents Toolkit to Support Quality of Care in the Transition from Pediatric to Adult Practices
This resource is one of several introduced at an American College of Physicians Press Briefing Today
(WASHINGTON – May 5, 2016) The American Society of Hematology (ASH) today presented tools to help hematologists ensure quality care for their patients who are transitioning from pediatric to adult practices. The toolkit, shared at a press briefing at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting 2016, contains general resources for supporting quality care for all hematologic conditions as well as for patients with hemophilia and sickle cell disease.
“Transitioning from pediatric to adult health-care practices is often a challenge for patients with chronic medical issues, because it can be difficult to adhere to a treatment regimen or attend regular appointments without the assistance of a parent or guardian,” said ASH President Charles S. Abrams, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania. “ASH recognizes that understanding a patient’s preparedness to take control of his or her medical condition in adulthood can make a huge difference in quality of care, which is why we are pleased to join the American College of Physicians and partner societies in this important initiative.”
As a member of the ACP Council of Subspecialty Societies, ASH joined more than two dozen groups to participate in the ACP’s Pediatric to Adult Care Transition Initiative. The goal of this initiative was to develop guidance and tools that both primary care internal medicine and subspecialty practices can use for patients who are transitioning from pediatric/adolescent practices to adult care. A broad ACP workgroup developed common tools and templates for a “general” transition process, while subspecialty societies such as ASH were asked to develop customized toolkits for specific diseases and conditions.
An ASH Transitions Work Group, made up of Society members from both pediatric and adult practices, developed three segments of the hematology-specific toolkit: (1) generic forms for patients with any hematologic condition, with an addendum that includes links to additional condition-specific guidelines and resources; (2) specific forms for hemophilia; and (3) specific forms for sickle cell disease. The toolkit includes two types of forms, a transition readiness assessment and clinical summary. The transition readiness assessments are intended to be completed by the patient and seek to assess readiness for the transition to adult care by evaluating the patient’s understanding of his or her condition and ability to manage medications, appointments, insurance, and medical privacy issues. The clinical summaries are intended to be completed by both the referring provider and patient. These resources developed by ASH will help hematologists and other providers address areas where the patient could be vulnerable to difficulties as they transition to adult care.
The ASH toolkit was reviewed by the ACP Pediatric to Adult Care Transitions Initiative Steering Committee, consisting of representation from primary and specialty care internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics, adolescent medicine, and the leadership of Got Transition, an ACP initiative dedicated to improving the transition from pediatric to adult health care. The tools were also reviewed by the American Academy of Pediatrics specialty groups.
For more information about this initiative and to access the ASH Transitions toolkit, visit www.hematology.org/transitions.
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more than 50 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. The official journal of ASH is Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online.
CONTACT:
Amanda Szabo, American Society of Hematology
[email protected]; 202-552-4914
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