Advances in medical care have saved the lives of children with serious illnesses, but it is said that there are problems such as continuing to see pediatricians even after becoming adults and not being properly treated for diseases peculiar to adults. increase.
The Japan Pediatric Society has put together recommendations to ensure that these patients receive appropriate medical care and support.
The recommendations were compiled by a working group of the Japan Pediatric Society and published on the website.
Advances in medical technology are beginning to save the lives of children with congenital heart disease and childhood cancer, and there are more than 120,000 children living with these diseases.
These patients often continue to see pediatrics even after becoming adults, and because they do not receive appropriate treatment for diseases peculiar to adults, or because they themselves do not understand the risks of diseases correctly, they stop taking medicines and going to hospitals. It has been pointed out that there is a problem of getting stuck.
For this reason, the proposal calls for pediatricians to inform patients and families of the need to transition to adult care, and to explain the disease status, treatment details, future risks, etc. from early teens. .
In addition, a total of 20 items, such as confirming whether the patient is continuing to see the doctor in half a year in full cooperation with the doctor of the adult medical department, will be handled so that the patient can receive appropriate medical care and support. I asked.
Hitoshi Kato, former director of the National Center for Child Health and Development, who compiled the proposal, said, "We want to support patients who have been in pediatrics for a long time so that they can adapt to adult medical care without hesitation."