Benefits of Structured Pediatric to Adult Transition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The TRANSIT Observational Study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of structured transition from pediatric to adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services on objective patient outcomes, including disease flares, admission rates, and healthcare resource use. METHODS: A retrospective observational study in 11 United Kingdom gastroenterology centers. Transition patients attended ≥2 visits to the gastroenterology service with both pediatric and adult personnel jointly present; non-transition patients transferred to adult services without joint visits. Data were collected from medical records for the 12-month periods before and after the date of the first visit involving adult IBD services (index visit). RESULTS: A total of 129 patients were included: 95 transition patients and 34 non-transition patients. In the 12 months post-index visit, transition patients had fewer disease flares (P = 0.05), were more likely to be steroid-free (71% vs 41%, P < 0.05), and were less likely to have an emergency department visit leading to hospital admission (5% vs 18%, P < 0.05). During this period, the mean estimated overall cost of care per patient was £1644.22 in the transition group and £1827.32 in the non-transition group (P = 0.21). CONCLUSION: Structured transition from pediatric to adult IBD care services was associated with positive and cost-neutral outcomes in patients with pediatric IBD.