Grand Rounds: Bridging Generational Divide in Kidney Healthcare Transition Preparation: Adapting to GenZ and Alpha in a Digital Age

Objectives (Educational Content) :

1. To characterize generational differences between adolescents/young adults with kidney disease (Gen Z) and emerging pediatric patients (Generation Alpha), focusing on learning styles, health literacy, digital engagement, and expectations of healthcare systems.

2. To examine gaps in current kidney healthcare transition models and identify why traditional, clinician-driven approaches may fail to meet the needs of digitally native generations.

3. To explore innovative, technology-enabled strategies—including mobile health tools, social media, AI-supported education, telehealth, and gamification—to enhance transition readiness, self-management skills, and patient empowerment, and to propose an adaptable, equity-focused framework for transition preparation, integrating caregivers, multidisciplinary teams, and digital platforms to support seamless, developmentally appropriate transitions from pediatric to adult kidney care.

Target Audience:

General pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, psychologists, and nurses.

Identified Gap:

Despite growing evidence and available digital tools to support developmentally appropriate transitions, kidney healthcare transition preparation for adolescents and young adults remains largely clinician-driven, episodic, and poorly aligned with the learning styles, digital engagement behaviors, health literacy levels, and expectations of Gen Z and emerging Generation Alpha patients. As a result, current practice falls short of what is achievable based on contemporary professional knowledge, leading to inconsistent transition readiness, suboptimal self-management skill development, and fragmented continuity between pediatric and adult kidney care. Clinicians and care teams often lack the knowledge, competence, and systems support needed to implement technology-enabled, equity-focused transition models that effectively engage digitally native populations, integrate caregivers and multidisciplinary teams, and promote sustained patient empowerment across the transition continuum, constituting a clear professional practice gap under ACCME Educational Needs criteria.

Estimated Time to Complete the Educational Activity:

1 hour(s)

Expiration Date for CE/CME Credit:

02-12-2027

Method of Participation in the Learning Process:

The learner will view the presentation, successfully complete a post-test and complete an activity evaluation.

Evaluation Methods:

All learners must successfully complete a post-test, as well as an activity evaluation, to claim CE/CME credit.

Disclosure:

he speaker(s) has returned the disclosure form, indicating that there are no financial relationships with ineligible companies: Rupesh Raina, MD The following planning committee member has indicated that a financial relationship with an ineligible company: Merck-Maria Cristina Victorio, MD All relationships have been mitigated. The remaining planning committee/CME committee members have indicated that they have no financial relationships with any ineligible companies.

Accreditation Statement:

Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron is accredited by the Ohio State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CHMCA designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit TM.  Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Bibliography:

1. Raina, R., Twombley, K., McCulloch, M., Marks, S. D., & Warady, B. A. (2024). Transition of care from pediatric to adult nephrology after kidney transplantation. Transplantation, 108(2), 245–253. https://doi.org/10.1097/TP.0000000000004926

2. Dixon A, Pruette C, Ranch D, Raina R, Ferris M, Shih WV. Transitioning from pediatric- to adult-focused dialysis care: A systematic review with recommendations. Clin Nephrol. 2025 Jul;104(1):34-45. doi: 10.5414/CN111566. PMID: 40260595.

3. Sreenivas A, Salgia E, Harish N, Raina R. Transition of care from pediatric to adult nephrology post-renal transplant: a review. Transl Pediatr. 2024 Sep 30;13(9):1641-1651. doi: 10.21037/tp-24-149. Epub 2024 Sep 21. PMID: 39399705; PMCID: PMC11467230.