SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Pulmonology
Transitioning Care in Cystic Fibrosis: A Comprehensive Review of Reviews of Clinical and Psychosocial Outcomes
Provisionally accepted
- Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: With rising life expectancy in cystic fibrosis (CF), effective transition from pediatric to adult care is essential. Structured transition models are thought to improve continuity of care, clinical stability, and psychosocial outcomes. This review of reviews synthesizes systematic review evidence on the effectiveness of these models across healthcare systems. Methods: Reviews and systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis published between 2005 and 2025 were identified through comprehensive searches. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2, and primary study overlap was quantified using the Corrected Covered Area (CCA). A narrative synthesis was conducted for all included reviews, stratified by intervention type and geography. Results: Structured programs consistently outperformed informal approaches. Joint pediatric–adult clinics were associated with preserved lung function and fewer hospitalizations. The use of readiness tools, such as the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire, showed improvement in self-management skills. Transition coordinators enhanced adherence and improved patient satisfaction with care. Evidence was limited regarding the long-term impact on mortality or transplant status. Conclusion: Structured transition models, particularly those incorporating joint clinics and coordinator-led care, are effective in improving self-management, adherence, and continuity of care for adolescents and young adults with CF. Future systematic reviews should focus on synthesizing evidence for long-term clinical outcomes.
Keywords: Cystic Fibrosis, Pediatric to adult care, transition programs, clinical outcomes, Psychosocial outcomes, review
Received: 08 Jun 2025; Accepted: 30 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alzayed. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Abdulla Alzayed, dr.abdulla.alzayed@gmail.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.