Presentation Information
[II-AEPCJS-2]Challenges and Opportunities in the Modern Transition of Care in Congenital Heart Cardiology
○Gabriele Egidy Assenza (IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy)
Advances in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery have dramatically improved survival among patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), leading to a rapidly expanding adult CHD population with complex lifelong healthcare needs. Transition of care from pediatric to adult-centered services has therefore become a critical component of modern congenital cardiology. However, this process remains challenging due to heterogeneity of disease complexity, psychosocial vulnerability, limited disease awareness, treatment adherence issues, and fragmentation of multidisciplinary care pathways. Effective transition extends beyond the transfer of medical information and requires structured educational, psychological, and organizational strategies aimed at promoting patient autonomy and long-term engagement with specialized care. Modern transition programs also offer important opportunities to optimize arrhythmia surveillance, device follow-up, heart failure management, reproductive counseling, and lifestyle interventions. Multidisciplinary collaboration between pediatric and adult congenital cardiologists, electrophysiologists, imaging specialists, nurses, psychologists, and genetic counselors is essential to improve continuity of care and long-term outcomes in this growing population.