RALEIGH — North Carolina Medical Society Member Edward Pickens, MD has advice for when it is time to transition children from pediatricians to a doctor who provides care for adults.  He was featured in an article from UNC Health.

Dr. Pickens says the teen years are a practice run for a child to manage their own healthcare. “It doesn’t have to be an abrupt transition,” he says, “but it’s important for adolescents to start taking responsibility for their health.”

Pickens adds that pediatricians may have frank discussions with growing patients on topics many teens tune out when the advice comes from their parents.

Doctors are allowed to accept a minor’s consent for treatment of certain conditions, mostly involving sexual and mental health, though laws vary by state.

There are no hard and fast rules for when a child must transition to an adult provider, but practices usually have their own standard procedures and ages vary.

For the full story and more of Dr. Pickens advice click here.