Image of pediatric patient and doctor.

BECOME THE CEO
OF YOUR HEALTH

Get ready to shift from pediatric to adult healthcare. As you grow older, your care should grow with you – but trends show young adults aren‘t taking the required steps to transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. We get it. It’s one more thing to think about when heading off to school, a first job or making a move. Here’s the reality: only 45 percent of 18–29 year olds have a primary care physician.1 Why? Because it can be confusing, time-intensive and often not on the radar for young adults.2,3

Mind the shift

Younger generations (think Generation Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials) are experts in navigating social media to learn about and even self-manage health conditions.4 As it relates to our health, this digital expertise – and the accessibility of urgent care in the U.S. – can present challenges. But bringing them together, with a primary care physician, is a boss move!

Image of child using a tablet.
Image of pediatric patient, parent, and doctor.

Let’s do this

People with and without serious health conditions are impacted by the complexity of shifting from pediatric to adult care, and it can feel overwhelming.5 Let’s make adulting easier – starting at the doctor’s office. Together, we can reduce critical care gaps.

PRO-TIP: It’s never too early or too late to develop CEO of your own health skills. Start now.

  1. KFF. One-fourth of adults and nearly half of adults under 30 don’t have a primary care doctor [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2025 Aug 4]. Available from: https://www.kff.org/other-health/one-fourth-of-adults-and-nearly-half-of-adults-under-30-dont-have-a-primary-care-doctor/
  2. Marso A. What millennials want out of primary care, and how to deliver it. Fam Pract Manag [Internet]. 2021 May/Jun [cited 2025 Aug 4]. Available from: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2021/0500/p29.html
  3. Glauser W. Primary care system outdated and inconvenient for many millennials. CMAJ. 2018 Nov 15; 2018;190(48):E1430–E1431. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6258217/pdf/190e1430.pdf doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-5688
  4. Lim MSC, Molenaar A, Brennan L, Reid M, McCaffrey T. Young adults’ use of different social media platforms for health information: insights from web-based conversations. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Jan 18; 2022;24(1):e23656. Available from: https://www.jmir.org/2022/1/e23656/ doi:10.2196/23656
  5. Castillo C, Kitsos E. Transitions from pediatric to adult care. Glob Pediatr Health. 2017 Dec 4; 4:2333794X17744946. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5721965/ doi:10.1177/2333794X17744946