Transition programs. The North-American experience

This article describes models of transitional care in the USA and Canada developed to facilitate the transitional process of youths with chronic health conditions and disabilities into adult care. Transition is a risky phase and requires special attention and careful planning. It benefits from a stable healthcare provider as proposed in the medical home model in the USA. It also requires youths to be empowered in understanding and sharing their health condition with new professionals from the adult medicine services. Examples of tools and techniques developed at the Centre for Childhood Disability Research (McMaster University) and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto are provided. The transition process should start involving children and youth at an early stage in order to prepare them and have them taking part in the planning of their future supports and be enabled to assume greater responsibilities in making health-related decision.