TOPLINE:

Among young people with epilepsy, nearly three quarters achieved a successful transition from paediatric to adult care. Attendance at a joint paediatric-adult clinic emerged as the most common barrier. Those who achieved a successful transition had higher odds of improved seizure control or remaining free from seizures post-transfer.

METHODOLOGY:

• Using data from an electronic health record database, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study to develop a working definition of a successful transition from paediatric to adult epilepsy services and to evaluate the association between predictors of transition success and the frequency of seizures during early adulthood.
• The final analysis included 59 patients aged 20-24 years with epilepsy (median age at transition initiation, 16.0 years; median age at transfer, 17.0 years; 55.9% women; 59.3% White) who transitioned from paediatric epilepsy services to adult care services in London between 2009 and 2023.
• Successful transition was defined using the four predefined criteria: the initiation of transition at a developmentally appropriate age, comprehensive coverage of all specific topics from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, attendance at a joint paediatric-adult transition clinic, and follow-up in the adult clinic within 6 months of transfer.
• The outcome was a change in the frequency of seizures between ages of 17 and 20 years, categorised as improved or remained free from seizures or worsened or remained uncontrolled.
• Clinicians classified the frequency of seizures at each timepoint as seizure free, infrequent (four or less seizures per year), frequent (5-10 seizures per year), or very frequent (> 10 seizures per year).
• All patients remained under active follow-up until at least the age of 20 years.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 72.9% of patients achieved a successful transition, meeting all the four criteria. Individually, 91.5% of patients began transition at a developmentally appropriate age, 91.5% covered NICE‑based relevant topics, 79.7% attended a joint paediatric-adult clinic, and 88.1% had an adult follow‑up within 6 months of transfer.
• Patients with successful transitions had more than fourfold higher odds of improved seizure frequency or remaining free from seizures than those with unsuccessful transitions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.28; P = .04).
• Men had more than fourfold higher odds of seizure improvement or remaining free from seizures than women (aOR, 4.29; P = .02).

IN PRACTICE:

"National adoption of standardised success metrics based on the four core elements identified in this study could support consistent service evaluation. Targeting these elements — particularly joint clinic attendance as a high-yield intervention — may improve transition outcomes," the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Shivana Neeta Modi, University College London, London, England. It was published online on May 04, 2026, in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

LIMITATIONS:

The study had a small sample size. The retrospective design relied on the completeness and accuracy of clinical records, which may have introduced information bias. Residual confounding such as parental demographics and socioeconomic status could not be accounted for.

DISCLOSURES:

This study did not receive any specific funding. The authors declared having no relevant competing interests.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.