Transition for Health Care Providers

Got Transition, the Center for Health Care Transition Improvement, is funded by the federal government and aims to improve the health care transition process for youth with disabilities nationwide.

The site includes an interactive health provider section that corresponds to the three Six Core Elements' practice settings. It also includes a set of frequently asked transition questions developed by and for youth/young adults and families. In addition, the site contains new information for researchers and policymakers and a robust listing of transition resources.

The Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition (Version 2.0) define the basic components of transition support and are based on the 2011 Clinical Report on Health Care Transition, jointly developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Physicians.

Three transition tool packages are available in English and Spanish for 1) practices serving youth who will transition out of pediatric care into adult care, 2) practices serving youth who will remain with the same provider but need to transition to adult-focused care, and 3) practices accepting new young adults into adult care. Each package includes sample tools that are customizable and available for download. They include a sample transition policy, a tracking mechanism, a readiness/self-care assessment tool, a plan of care template, medical summary, emergency care plan, transfer checklist, and a transfer letter. Each package also includes consumer feedback surveys and two new measurement tools to assess progress in transition quality improvement.

The Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE), in collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, has created a new interactive toolkit to help improve healthcare services for adults on the autism spectrum.

For patients on the autistic spectrum and their supporters:

Patient materials include checklists and worksheets to help patients:

• schedule appointments
• prepare for visits
• describe symptoms, and
• follow-up on provider recommendations

The toolkit also includes detailed information about topics including:

• navigating the healthcare system
• staying healthy, and
• patient rights.

The centerpiece of the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit is the Autism Healthcare Accommodation Tool, an online tool that allows patients or their supporters to create a customized accommodations report for their providers.

For healthcare providers:

The Autism Healthcare Accommodation Tool mentioned above will help healthcare providers understand what accommodations or strategies might help that individual patient. It is crucial that healthcare providers be equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to provide better quality healthcare to autistic adults.

Other provider materials include:

• general information on autism,
• tips for facilitating healthcare interactions, and
• information on legal and ethical issues related to autism.

ASAN is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive toolkit to empower people with disabilities and their families to manage their own health care as they transition to adulthood.

Transition to Adulthood: A Health Care Guide for Youth and Families provides people with people with disabilities and their families with information on how to choose a source of health care coverage, create a health care support network, integrate health care transition goals into their educational plans, and manage their health care. It includes useful guides and worksheets for keeping track of health care records, making doctor's appointments, and talking to doctors about health concerns.

The toolkit also includes Model Supported Health Care Decision-Making Legislation and its accompanying Questions and Answers resource. The model legislation, which ASAN developed in collaboration with the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, would enable people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to name a trusted person to help communicate with doctors, understand health care information, make informed decisions about health care, and/or carry out daily health-related activities. Advocates can use this model legislation when talking to their state legislators about ways to support people make independent health care decisions.

ASAN's policy brief, The Transition to Adulthood for Youth with ID/DD: A review of research, policy, and next steps, discusses the range of challenges facing youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they approach adulthood, including potential loss of health care coverage, barriers to obtaining adult-oriented care, and lack of support in making health care decisions. It outlines several policy recommendations to eliminate these barriers, including expanding access to income-based Medicaid coverage, increased education and awareness of the importance of transition and decision-making supports, and increased research on best practices in transition planning.

The DC Resource Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) is a resource for providers serving families with children and youth with special health care needs to help them know and understand the complex array of services and supports within the DC system. We are a "one-stop shop" of resources, supports, and services offered in the District of Columbia by both private and public entities.

National Health Foundation is dedicated to improving and enhancing the healthcare of the underserved by developing and supporting innovative programs that (1) can become independently viable, (2) provide systemic solutions to gaps in healthcare access and delivery, and (3) have the potential to be replicated nationally.

This CDC article discusses 5 steps that doctors and other health professionals can use to increase physical activity among adults with disabilities. They are:

1. Remember that Physical Activity Guidelines are for Everybody
2. Ask about Physical Activity
3. Discuss Barriers to Physical Activity
4. Recommend Physical Activity Options
5. Refer Patients to Resources and Programs