WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Child Neurology Foundation (CNF) announced today that a consensus statement addressing the role of the neurologist in transitioning children to the adult healthcare system has been published in the July 27, 2016 online edition of Neurology. The content, which was solely developed by the Child Neurology Foundation, included input from an independent panel of 13 interdisciplinary experts based on a review of research literature. Entitled "The Neurologist's Role in Supporting Transition to Adult Healthcare: A Consensus Statement," the recommendations were endorsed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), Child Neurology Society (CNS) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The project was co-sponsored by Eisai Inc., a company dedicated to advancing epilepsy care (www.advancingepilepsycare.com/transitions-of-care).   

Transition of care, defined as a fluid process for young adults to maintain access to medically- and developmentally-appropriate care in order to attain life-long functioning and well-being, has become increasingly important. According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), transition of care is a necessary step in order to create a comprehensive system of services for children with special healthcare needs. However, for one in six children living with a neurological disorder, resources to help guide the transition process have been historically limited.

"With so many patients, caregivers and healthcare providers struggling with the current system, it is imperative that healthcare professionals and patients have tools in place to help facilitate dialogue and maintain optimal treatment," said Lawrence Brown, MD, Chair, CNF Transition Project Advisory Committee and Authoring Panel. "We're hopeful that the consensus statement outlined in Neurology will help ensure that all patients receive and maintain high-quality, comprehensive care during this important transition phase."

A decline in health and healthcare (e.g., adherence, lapses in insurance coverage) during the transitional phase has been well-documented. A recent report found that only 40 percent of patients and caregivers are currently discussing transition with their healthcare teams.

A clinical report, "Supporting the Health Care Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home," was published in 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians in Pediatrics, highlighting a need for better transitions of care from primary care providers for all youth. The report called for subspecialists to respond to this guidance by providing consensus on their subspecialty-specific needs for successful transitions. The neurology community is the first subspecialty to formally respond to this call for action with the publication of this consensus statement. 

The consensus statement includes a neurology-specific review of literature and discussion, common principle recommendations about responsibilities of the child and adult neurologist, discussion of co-management between primary care providers and specialists, as well as five disease-specific vignettes illustrating implementation of the core principles. The five neurological disease states featured in the report's vignettes are:

• generalized epilepsy,
• muscular dystrophy,
• fragile X,
• tuberous sclerosis complex and
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

"As a company dedicated to advancing epilepsy care, Eisai's co-sponsorship of this consensus statement aligns with our corporate human health care mission of helping to improve the lives of patients living with neurological conditions," said Timothy Clark, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy, Eisai Inc. "This consensus statement provides critical information to the healthcare community, including patients and caregivers, to help make improvements in the transition of care."  

Members of the consensus statement authoring panel and child and adult neurology leaders met in August 2015 to begin discussions about how to appropriately distribute and implement the consensus statement's findings in order to optimally affect change for the neurology community. This extensive group is currently in the process of making plans to provide resources to the larger community to address the issue of transition of care.

For more information about the consensus statement, please visit www.childneurologyfoundation.org or www.advancingepilepsycare.com.

About the Child Neurology Foundation

Established in 2001, the Child Neurology Foundation (CNF) 501(c)(3) is a national nonprofit organization created to serve pediatric patients and their caregivers through advocacy, education, research, and support initiatives. The Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of children with neurologic disorders by strengthening connections between patients and their families, physicians and other healthcare professionals, and advocacy and industry partners.  

For more information on the CNF, please visit www.childneurologyfoundation.org.

About American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 28,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest-quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy.

For more information on the AAN, please visit www.aan.com.

About Child Neurology Society (CNS)

The Child Neurology Society is the preeminent non-profit professional association of pediatric neurologists in the United States, Canada, and worldwide devoted to fostering the discipline of child neurology and promoting the optimal care and welfare of children with neurological and neuro developmental disorders. These disorders include epilepsy, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning disabilities, complex metabolic diseases, nerve and muscle diseases, and a host of other highly challenging conditions.

For more information on the CNS, please visit www.childneurologysociety.org/.

About American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 64,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

For more information on the AAP, please visit www.aap.org.

About Eisai Inc.

At Eisai Inc., human health care (hhc) is our goal. We give our first thoughts to patients and their families, and helping to increase the benefits health care provides. As the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., we have a passionate commitment to patient care that is the driving force behind our efforts to discover and develop innovative therapies to help address unmet medical needs.

Eisai is a fully integrated pharmaceutical business that operates in two global business groups: oncology and neurology (dementia-related diseases and neurodegenerative diseases). Each group functions as an end-to-end global business with discovery, development, and marketing capabilities. Our U.S. headquarters, commercial and clinical development organizations are located in New Jersey; our discovery labs are in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania; and our global demand chain organization resides in Maryland and North Carolina. To learn more about Eisai Inc., please visit us at www.eisai.com/US.

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