India to reveal policy for youth with chronic diseases to transport to adult care

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. India to reveal the policy for young people with chronic illnesses to move from pediatric care to adult health care. The policy will ensure continuity, education and support, so that the turn of 18 does not mean losing care. (Pexel Photo) Summary The policy aims to address the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of young people after turning 18, ensuring the continuity of care and better health outcomes. New -Delhi: In the first place, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is working on a policy of leading the movement of young people with chronic illnesses such as thalassemia and diabetes of pediatric care to adult healthcare systems. The policy, called ‘Transition of Care for Youth with Special Health Care Needs’, aims to create a planned and purposeful process to address the medical, psychosocial, educational and career needs of these young adults, according to the document drawn up by the Directorate General of Health Services. Mint checked a copy of the document. The policy is crucial. Previously, there was no formal guidance for such a transition, which often led to a sudden shift that can cause anxiety for patients and their families. Without a proper policy, adolescents with conditions such as transfusions-dependent thalassemia and diabetes are at greater risk for non-compliance with treatment, loss of follow-up and poor health outcomes. Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, former president of the Cochin chapter of the Indian Medical Association, explained that children with chronic health conditions rely a lot on their pediatricians and possibly feel abandoned if they suddenly have to switch to a new doctor. ‘The new’ transition of care ‘policy deals with that issue by starting early -time discussions early, both engaging pediatric and adult teams in joint clinics, and tracking patients through a transitional register. This ensures continuity, education and support, so that the turn of 18 does not mean losing care, ‘said Dr. Jayadevan said. Why this policy is important, there are a growing number of young people with special health care needs in the country. More than 850,000 children and adolescents are influenced by youth diabetes, a figure that is expected to double by 2040. The incidence of epilepsy under 15-18-year-old boys and girls is also significant, estimated at 821 and 625 per 100,000 respectively. Until now, care for such youths has been fragmented. A general trend, especially in public hospitals, was to simply direct young patients outside a certain age to the general medical outpatient department, regardless of their complicated health needs. For individuals with conditions such as transfusions -dependent thalassemia, diabetes and epilepsy, the lack of a structured transition can lead to worse health outcomes and disease complications. Benefits and implementation The benefits of the policy will be expanded to all stakeholders. Patients will be empowered with the knowledge and skills for self -care, leading to better treatment. Families will receive the emotional support needed to handle the changes and build new relationships with adults of adults. For healthcare staff, the policy facilitates a collaborative partnership between pediatric and adult teams, which ensures the continuity of care. Ultimately, the government aims to improve public health outcomes by ensuring that these young adults are involved in the healthcare system, which maximizes their potential to lead productive lives. The central government has ordered all states and trade union areas to implement the policy by drawing up a transition program and creating disease -specific patient registers to prevent patients from being lost. In addition, hospitals should maintain such registers to detect patients. The general purpose is to maximize the lifelong functioning and potential of youth with special health care needs, which enables them to become productive members of society. Catch all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Healthcare Read Next Story