Recommendations for transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care: patients’ perspectives

Abstract

This preliminary investigation assessed the experiences of young adults with diabetes to evaluate aspects of the transition process and assess whether developmentally important topics were addressed. Patients & methods: Questionnaires were administered to recently transferred patients. Reasons for transition, age, anxiety, lapse in care and how adult providers were selected were examined. Whether 13 developmentally important topics were addressed was also assessed. results & conclusion: Over half (52.5%) of participants did not select their adult provider through pediatric provider

CoYoT1 Clinic: Innovative Telemedicine Care Model for Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

“…4,9 The patients in our study reported saving over 6 h from their work or school day by completing their diabetes clinic visit virtually, which may improve adherence with routine diabetes care appointments. Offering the opportunity to interact with healthcare providers via Professionally led support groups have shown potential to improve diabetes self-care behaviors and reduce diabetes distress for young adult patients in their 20s.…”

“…3,4,[9][10][11] Young adults in this transitional stage report feeling dissatisfied with the transfer to adult care and believe their specific needs and diabetes management challenges are not sufficiently addressed in pediatric or adult care settings, 4,12 likely contributing to their disengagement with medical care. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest worsening of glycemic control with the transition to adult care.…”

Type 1 Diabetes in Young Adulthood

“…The majority of youth transfer to an adult medical care provider between ages 18–22, with a median age of 19.5 – 20 years [41, 42]. More than 25% of young adults report a significant gap in medical care (>6 months) during the transition to adult medical care [31, 43]. Gaps in medical care in young adulthood may be related to psychosocial concerns such as stressful life circumstances or competing life priorities, health care system issues such as inadequate health insurance and difficulty getting appointments, or lack of preparation for adult medical care [11, 44].…”

Technology Use in Transition-Age Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

“…1 Transfer of care is the actual event whereas transition has been defined as a "purposeful, planned process that addresses the medical, psychosocial, educational and vocational needs of adolescents and young adults as they grow up learning to live with their lifelong medical condition." 2 In the diabetes literature, the transition process has become a focus of considerable research, as health care management during and after the transfer of care tends to be challenging as demonstrated by poorer health outcomes.…”

“…5 The variation is often related to whether the research is addressing interventions for the transition process, often taking place as early as age 13 or the actual transfer of care which is commonly achieved during "emerging adulthood or age [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]." 1,6,7 For this article, we reviewed articles focused on technology use in youth with T1D age 13-25 years, as it is the population most often defined as "transition-aged youth." This definition is consistent with the theories of Arnett and the recent discoveries in the field of neurophysiology, which point out that prefrontal cortex continues to mature until the age of 25.…”