AHA publishes transition guidelines for adolescent congenital heart disease patients

**Sable C. Circulation. 2011;doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e3182107c56.**

The American Heart Association has issued a scientific statement outlining best practices for the transition of young patients with congenital heart disease into adulthood, the first step of which is to begin the process in early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 14 years.

“It’s not as simple as getting the name of a new doctor and going to see them when a patient turns 18,” Craig Sable, MD, AHA statement committee co-chair, said in a press release. “There are multiple steps associated with the transition process that need to be started at a very young age.”

The AHA’s statement was based on a review of transition literature conducted by Sable and his team, beginning in 2008.

To provide uninterrupted medical care, the AHA recommends that the transition should be a joint effort between the patient, the patient’s family and the health care provider, who is usually a pediatric heart specialist. Critical steps for the patient and his or her team to consider on behalf of the patient, according to the statement, are:

Selecting an adult care physician to provide coordinated comprehensive care.
Receiving reproductive, genetic and career counseling.
Obtaining health insurance.
Educating adult care providers on congenital heart disease management.
Maintaining communication between patients, families and health care professionals.

Less than one-third of adults with congenital heart disease receive specialist care, Sable said.

“The vast majority of the patients we see are not necessarily the most severe, so there’s a real concern that some of the patients who really need care are not seeking it. The bottom line is to ensure that, as patients grow up, they receive the necessary care,” he said.

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