Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care.

• Position: HEALTH CARE

Approximately 90% of children diagnosed with a chronic disease live into adulthood, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, many adolescents who age out of the often nurturing and supportive pediatric health care system struggle to identify a new adult health care provider, lack knowledge of their health history, or have trouble navigating the complex adult health care system.

To reduce avoidable hospitalizations and ensure young adults with chronic disease continue to seek care into adulthood, researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, identified factors that could influence health outcomes positively after transitioning to the adult health care system. They found increasing adolescents' confidence in disease self-management could help to ensure a smoother transition as they age out of pediatric care.

"Our objective is to close the gap between the pediatric...