Transition to Adult Health Care: Community of Practice

To connect and engage Transition Champions to provide effective, sustainable and responsive care to patients and families related to the transition to adult health care in keeping with the IWK Transition of Care Committee’s Guiding Principles & Values and the Children’s Health Care Canada Guidelines for the Transition of Care from Pediatric to Adult Health Care for Youth with Special Health Care Needs.

Purpose

• To enhance transition of care practices by building capacity of IWK staff, youth and adult health care providers and community partners  to facilitate early, ongoing, and collaborative transitions to adult health care
• To support the development of the IWK Transitions of Care Program by providing feedback and perspective to the IWK Transition of Care Committee.
• To advocate for a responsive, individualized, and diverse transition process within care teams.
• To integrate ongoing evaluation of the Transitions of Care Program and the Community of Practice.

Objectives

Education

• Enhance clinical skills related to the transition to adult care
• Provide feedback on tools and resources being developed for the transition to adult care
• Increase understanding of the impact of transition on patients and families and the importance of grounding our work in the experience and expertise of patients and families
• Gain greater awareness of how the social determinants of health affect transition
• Increase knowledge of adolescent health and development and the influence on transition

Collaboration

• Provide opportunities to collaborate with IWK colleagues, youth & adult health care providers and community partners to enhance practice

Implementation

• Provide opportunities and learning to strategize and operationalize Transition to Adult Care processes in your setting
• Develop a plan to engage youth, families, and healthcare providers in the Transition to Adult Care

Membership

We welcome health care providers and community partners who are involved in the transition to adult health care from across the Atlantic provinces to join us as we look to enhance our practice and improve the transition for patients and families.

For more information about the Community of Practice, please contact Transition Coordinator IWK Health Centre at 902-470-3772 or IWKtransition@iwk.nshealth.ca.