Care gaps in the transition to adult medicine
Florian Milatz in an interview at Deutschlandfunk
In the Deutschlandfunk health magazine ‘Sprechstunde’ entitled ‘Rheumatoid arthritis: When the immune system attacks the joints’, Dr Florian Milatz from the research working group of Prof. Dr Kirsten Minden (German Rheumatology Research Center, a Leibniz Institute, spoke about the particular challenges involved in the transition of adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to adult care. In order to improve this transition in the long term, he emphasised the importance of early preparation of young people, individual support and stronger networking between paediatric and internal rheumatology.
Rheumatologic disorders do not only affect adults – children and adolescents can also develop the disease. Many of them continue to require specialised rheumatological care in young adulthood. Florian Milatz addressed the particular challenges involved in the transition from adolescents with JIA to adult medicine. According to current studies, this transition is often not smooth: medical care is often interrupted, which has a negative impact on the course of the disease and quality of life.
Florian Milatz mentioned a lack of specialised specialists in adult rheumatology, a lack of nationwide transition structures and insufficient information about the need for further specialised care as some of the causes. Many young patients assume that they do not need any further treatment if they are symptom-free. This is aggravated by the limited availability of specialist medical services and uncertainty about what to expect in subsequent care. As a result, many feel left alone in this phase – and the transition fails.
The InfoTrans study conducted at the DRFZ clearly shows the challenges that young patients with rheumatic diseases face during the transition to adult care. According to Florian Milatz, these gaps in care can only be closed if young people are prepared at an early stage, given individual support and paediatric and adult rheumatology are more closely networked.
Projekt InfoTrans
Dr Florian Milatz is working on optimising information transfer at the paediatric/adult rheumatology interface as part of the InfoTrans project.
The health magazine ‘Sprechstunde’ at Deutschlandfunk
Deutschlandfunk’s health magazine “Sprechstunde” is a weekly radio show that addresses medical topics and offers both specialist information and practical advice. In each episode, an expert explains the current state of their medical speciality and then answers listeners’ questions. An extensive archive provides access to previous editions of ‘Sprechstunde’.
The Deutschlandfunk ‘Sprechstunde’ programme from 20 May 2025 entitled ‘Rheumatoid arthritis: When the immune system attacks the joints’ focused on the early signs of the disease, current treatment options and the effects on the everyday lives of those affected. Together with Prof Dr Ulf Wagner, Deutschlandfunk provided information on the medical background and spoke to sufferers about their personal experiences.