Transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for patients with chronic functional constipation: a scoping review and provider insight.

Chronic functional constipation is complex and often requires a multifaceted treatment approach. Patients are treated by medical and surgical units in outpatient and inpatient settings. Some adolescents will require transition to adult services for ongoing management, but little is understood about the transitional care needs of this cohort. A scoping review of PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase examined transitional care for patients with chronic functional constipation aged 10 to 30 years. Additionally, correspondence was sought from hospitals with specialized Colorectal Centers. Three studies, all surgical in nature, met the inclusion criteria and 15 Colorectal Centers provided details of their management of patients with chronic functional constipation during the period of transition. There were no constipation-specific transitional care programs identified. Multiple departments in both pediatric and adult services managed patients with chronic functional constipation. Identified barriers and enablers aligned with general transitional care guidelines. Inconsistent approaches to treatment of chronic functional constipation made standardized transition to adult care a challenge. In essence, the transitional care needs of this cohort are largely unknown. These results indicate the value of further research to inform standardization of care, with the goal of improving patient outcomes during the critical transition from pediatric to adult services.