727 - Implementing Standardized Transition Education in a Cerebral Palsy Clinic

A formal transition process is recommended best practice for patients with chronic medical conditions; however, no formal transition guideline exists that is specific to cerebral palsy. Transition education and the transition process in the cerebral palsy clinic previously occurred informally without any standardization or tracking. The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project was to improve patient transitions through implementation of a formal transition process and standardized education in a multidisciplinary cerebral palsy clinic.

Design:

Using QI methodology, pediatric rehabilitation medicine physicians evaluated current state and key drivers to identify interventions. A checklist of education topics for medical transition divided by age group (12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18+ years old) was created. Patients identified as needing education were discussed in the clinic huddle. Physicians implemented checklist guided education for patients ages 12 to 21 during clinic visits and documented completion in clinic notes. A survey was submitted following clinic visits to track huddle discussion, education provided, patient characteristics, and reasons education did not occur.


Results:

Of eligible patients, 38 of 46 patients were discussed in huddle, and 27 of 46 received documented transition education from February of 2024 to June of 2025. The percentage of patients receiving education varied by quarter, ranging from 38-71%. Across motor function, GMFCS I patients received the highest percentage of education (71%) and GMFCS V patients the lowest (29%). The most common reasons education was not completed were that clinic was too busy and addressing patient and family concerns or medical issues took precedence and filled available visit time.

Conclusions:

Implementing standardized transition education in a multidisciplinary cerebral palsy clinic is feasible. Additional interventions are needed to increase the percentage of patients receiving education. This population would also benefit from cerebral palsy specific transition guideline.