Key result
Transition, logistic, psychosocial, and clinical factors emerge as the four main follow-up barriers in CHD.
Why the study?
Most infants with congenital heart disease now survive to adulthood and require long-term surveillance, yet many are lost to follow-up.
What are the barriers to consistent follow-up in adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease?
What are the barriers to consistent follow-up in adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease?
Identifies key barriers to follow-up in adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease, highlighting the need for improved transition processes and logistical support.
May support targeted CHD follow-up interventions; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before practice change.
Almost 90% of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) now reach adulthood but require long-term surveillance to recognize and manage residual and/or evolving lesions. Yet many are lost to follow-up. A scoping review identified four specific domains that pose barriers to consistent follow-up. There are multiple issues associated with transition from pediatric to adult care which included-the lack of a seamless transfer, the establishment of a new trusting relationship, promoting the right balance of patient autonomy and addressing knowledge gaps. Additional issues related to logistic problems of time, distance, cost, and the availability of specialized care, are further compounded by the psychosocial factors and the heterogeneity of the cardiac abnormality affecting our patients. Further study of all these issues is warranted to improve ongoing engagement.
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Liu et al. (2023) conducted a review in Congenital heart disease. A scoping review identified transition issues, logistic problems, psychosocial factors, and cardiac abnormality heterogeneity as the four main barriers to consistent follow-up in patients with CHD.
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