Healthcare transition in pediatric neurosurgery: lessons learned from a pilot program for patients with hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

OBJECTIVE

The pediatric neurosurgical community has increasingly recognized the importance of healthcare transition, the process of moving a patient from a pediatric to an adult model of care. However, surveys of pediatric neurosurgeons have revealed that few institutions have formal transition programs. Here, the authors share their preliminary experience with the development of a formal transition pilot program for patients with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.

METHODS

Patients 18 years of age or older with a diagnosis of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus who were followed by a pediatric neurosurgeon at Connecticut Children's from January 2017 to December 2023 and were recommended to transition to an adult neurosurgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Patients in the informal transition program (ITP) cohort (i.e., the recommendation to transition was made before the formal transition program [FTP] was developed in early 2020) were compared with those in the FTP cohort.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients met inclusion criteria with 7 (31.8%) in the ITP cohort and 15 (68.2%) in the FTP cohort. The median age at the time of the recommendation to transition was similar in both ITP and FTP cohorts (24 [IQR 20-35] years vs 25 [IQR 24-27] years, respectively). Four (57.1%) patients in the ITP cohort had a confirmed visit with an adult neurosurgeon, compared with 13 (86.7%) patients in the FTP cohort (p = 0.274). One patient in the ITP cohort with a failed transition returned to pediatric neurosurgical care, and 1 patient in the FTP cohort required a shunt revision by an adult neurosurgeon within 1 year of the recommendation to transition.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare transition is recognized as a priority within pediatric neurosurgery, but structured, formal transition programs remain underdeveloped. The authors' preliminary experience with a pilot transition program demonstrated that patients who underwent a formal transition were more likely to successfully establish care with an adult neurosurgeon and trended toward less resource utilization.