Continuation of Pediatric Care after Transfer to Adult Care Among Autistic Youth Overlap of Pediatric and Adult Care.
Joseph Sirrianni, Christopher Hanks, Steve Rust and 1 others
PMID 38520586WHAT IT FOUND
Most autistic young adults keep using pediatric services after starting adult primary care.
Over half had direct pediatric visits, including therapy. Clinicians should expect ongoing pediatric involvement rather than assuming a clean break at the first adult appointment.
Key findings
01149 of 230 patients (65%) had some contact with the pediatric hospital after their first adult primary care visit.
02129 patients (56%) had direct in-person contact with a pediatric provider, such as physical therapy or office visits, after establishing adult care.
03Younger age at the start of adult care and a higher number of prior pediatric visits were associated with more continued pediatric care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is based on a single program and one children's hospital, so results may not generalize to other regions or healthcare systems. The data did not include reasons for overlap, so it is unclear whether continued pediatric care was planned or due to gaps in adult services. Autism severity levels were not available in the dataset, limiting the ability to analyze how support needs influence transition patterns. The study only looked at pediatric care after the first adult primary care visit, ignoring any adult specialty care the patient might have already started.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. No other conflicts of interest are reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret continued pediatric care as a failure of transition. The authors note that overlap is the norm under flexible transition models, and direct pediatric contacts often include necessary ongoing services like therapy or specialty care that the adult primary care provider does not replace.