Child to adult transition

The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a vulnerable and complex period for any young person, even more so when suffering from liver disease or following a liver transplant. In order to provide adolescents and their parents with the best possible support, the Swiss Pediatric Liver Center (HUG) offers transitional consultations between pediatric and adult services.

The transition to the adult services is generally a progressive step, starting at the age of 11-12. In this way, adolescents are progressively accompanied and supported towards autonomy.

By definition, the teenager is no longer quite a child, nor completely an adult, and is going through a period of transition on all levels: medical, but also psychological and physiological. Specific consultations designed to build bridges between specialized pediatric and adult services have been implemented in most of the hospital's units: gastroenterology, hepatology, surgery, nephrology, endocrinology, diabetology, nutrition and more.

Living with a chronic disease during childhood generally creates a strong bond between the teenager, his or her family and the caregiver. The key is to re-establish this trust-based relationship with an adult partner, and to organize this transfer so as to ensure continuity of care and minimize the risk of discontinuing care or treatment.

This process is initiated during a follow-up consultation, where transition discussions are organized. Initially carried out by the pediatric teams, they are then conducted jointly with the adult departments and repeated as necessary, before concluding the final transfer. For some patients, discussions between specialists may continue after the transfer.

The goal of this phase is to empower the adolescent. The transition may be difficult for parents, who are also very attached to the healthcare team. Progressively, they are encouraged to let their child answer questions, talk to the doctor alone, and take part in decision-making. This medical transition is part of the whole life transition that young people and their families go through during adolescence.