AB1079 Transition care of patients with childhood onset chronic rheumatic disease in a tertiary medical centre in turkey

Background Transitional care is a purposeful, planed movement of adolescence and young adults with chronic condition from childhood- to adult-oriented health care systems. Well-organised, systematic transitional health care is of high importance for providing the continuous medical treatment and for reaching optimal outcomes. Up to date, there is no unique, consensus-based model for patients’ transition from childhood- to adult oriented health care centres in Turkey. Objectives We aimed to assess the transitional care among patients with juvenile onset rheumatologic disease in referral tertiary centre in Turkey. Methods The transitional policlinic is held once per month at the department for paediatric rheumatology, consisting of 2 adult and 4 paediatric rheumatologist. A total of 147 patients have undergone the transitional care in the time period from May 2014 to December 2017. Patient s were called by telephone, by two different investigators (EP, OK). Thirty-three (22%) patients were not reached and 17 (11%) of theme were excluded from the study due to short post-transitional period ( Results A total of 147 patients (79 (54%) females) underwent transition process and 97 of them were included in the study. There was no statistically significant difference between different patients groups regarding the age of transition. The education levels of patients were as following: university 60 (61.9%), high-school 21 (21.6%), middle-school 13 (13.4%), primary school 3 (3.1%). Majority of patients was single at the time of study (79 (81.4%) patients) while only 18 (18.6%) patients were married; half of them being child owner. At the time of study, 44 (30%) patients were employed and mean age at employment was 19.06±3.1 years. Most of patients had health insurance at the time of study (94 (96.9%)). Seventy-one (73.2%) patients continued their regular follow up at adult department while 26 (25.8%) patients discontinued medical treatment. The most common reasons for cessation of follow up were the work/school absence (20 (76.9%)), followed by patients’ personal reasons (2 (7.6%)) and dissatisfaction with adult clinic services (4 (15.5%)). Most of patients reported satisfaction with transition process: 96 (99%). Conclusions This is the first Turkish model of transitional care among patients with chronic rheumatic disease. Well-organised transitional health care is of crucial importance for the continuous and optimal health care of adolescents and young adults with chronic rheumatic disease. Further studies with higher number of patients would reveal the relevance of described transitional care model. Reference [1] - Foster HE, Minden K, Clemente D, et al. EULAR/PReS standards and recommendations for the transitional care of young people with juvenile-onset rheumatic diseases. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76:639–646. Disclosure of Interest None declared