U.S vs. Canadian perspective on transition of care for spina bifida patients

This paper provides a nice snapshot of the current state with respect to adult spina bifida (SB) care in modern healthcare systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the current state of transition as it relates to adults with SB in Canada. The authors report that over two-thirds of pediatric urologists who responded to a nationwide survey reported a process for transition and the majority (82%) had identified an adult “recipient” urologist. Despite the fact that readiness tools are readily available (e.g., http://www.gottransition.org/providers/index.cfm) a minority of providers (14%) use them to assess or prepare patients for transition. Thirty-nine percent reported that transition should not begin until age 18 or older, despite the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics/American Academy of Family Practice/American College of Physicians that transition should be introduced around age 12–14