The real-life experience of a general pulmonary transition clinic

Background: Paediatric-to-adult transition represents an unmet need in many chronic conditions. Data and outcomes on pulmonary transition clinics (PTC) are limited. Methods: We report the structure, organization, and patients’ characteristics of a multidisciplinary outpatient PTC started in 2022 by two secondary level academic hospitals in Milan, Italy. Consecutive adult patients (≥18 years old) that entered the PTC from January 2022 until January 2023 and completed ≥2 follow-up visits were asked to answer a custom designed, anonymized, online questionnaire to test improvement in disease perception, self-confidence, and evaluate their experience with the clinic. Results: Out of thirty-three patients, twenty-one completed the survey (62% males, median age 19 years). The most common diagnoses included asthma (57%) and bronchiectasis (19%). The disease control rate was optimal, only <2% of visits were unscheduled emergency visits. 100% of patients rated the presence of a dedicated service, a direct relationship with the treating physician and the possibility to improve self-management extremely useful. Conclusions: Our questionnaire revealed that transitioning from caregiver-based disease management to patient-based disease management was perceived as more arduous. PTCs are an impactful resource for patients transitioning to adult care, but our knowledge on disease specific management strategies in transitioning patients remains limited.