Managing the Parents

Abstract

Management of the parents is a vital part of transitioning any patient with complex medical disorders from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood. The literature is sparse; approaches develop with experience and become a part of the ‘art’ of practicing medicine. Parent preparation and management for and through transition must begin early. Such preparation will include strategies to engage the parents early while using the clinical setting to gradually establish privacy and confidentiality for the affected adolescent—all this is aimed to work towards their ultimate autonomy.