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Transition from pediatric to adult follow-up care in childhood cancer survivors—a systematic review

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Abstract

Purpose

The successful transition of childhood cancer survivors from pediatric- to adult-focused long-term follow-up care is crucial and can be a critical period. Knowledge of current transition practices, especially regarding barriers and facilitators perceived by survivors and health care professionals, is important to develop sustainable transition processes and implement them into daily clinical practice. We performed a systematic review with the aim of assessing transition practices, readiness tools, and barriers and facilitators.

Methods

We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase/Ovid, CINAHL) and included studies published between January 2000 and January 2020. We performed this review according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered the study protocol on PROSPERO; two reviewers independently extracted the content of the included studies.

Results

We included 26 studies: six studies described current transition practices, six assessed transition readiness tools, and 15 assessed barriers and facilitators to transition.

Conclusion

The current literature describing transition practices is limited and overlooks adherence to follow-up care as a surrogate marker of transition success. However, the literature provides deep insight into barriers and facilitators to transition and theoretical considerations for the assessment of transition readiness. We showed that knowledge and education are key facilitators to transition that should be integrated into transition practices tailored to the individual needs of each survivor and the possibilities and limitations of each country’s health care system.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

The current knowledge on barriers and facilitators on transition should be implemented in clinical practice to support sustainable transition processes.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the librarians Beatrice Minder and Doris Kopp, University of Bern, for their support.

Funding

This publication was supported by a grant from the Swiss Cancer Research (HSR-4359-11-2017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

    Maria Otth, Sibylle Denzler & Katrin Scheinemann

  2. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Maria Otth

  3. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Christa Koenig

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland

    Henrik Koehler

  5. Division of Hematology/Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland

    Katrin Scheinemann

  6. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Katrin Scheinemann

  7. Department of Pediatrics, McMaster Children’s Hospital and McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

    Katrin Scheinemann

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  1. Maria Otth
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Correspondence to Maria Otth.

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Maria Otth and Sibylle Denzler shared first authorship

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Otth, M., Denzler, S., Koenig, C. et al. Transition from pediatric to adult follow-up care in childhood cancer survivors—a systematic review. J Cancer Surviv 15, 151–162 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-020-00920-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-020-00920-9

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