Global survey highlights gaps in diabetes transition care for youth
There are significant gaps and variations in how healthcare professionals approach the transition of youth with diabetes from pediatric to adult care, highlighting the urgent need for an international consensus on transition guidelines to ensure a consistent and effective process, according to a study.
The survey was promoted by the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and completed by 372 respondents. The majority (74.5%) were physicians, primarily working in government-funded (59.4%), pediatric (54.0%), metropolitan settings (85.8%) in Europe (44.9%), with 37.1% from low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Key findings include:
- Only 32.8% used a transition readiness checklist.
- 29.6% provided written transition information.
- 23.7% had a dedicated staff member for transition.
- 25.8% involved a psychologist.
- 35.2% had combined or transition/young person-only clinics.
- 34.9% had a structured transition education program.
- 49.8% recommended youth use technology to aid the transfer.
A significant 91.9% of respondents identified barriers to providing a good transition experience.
Reference
James S, Cudizio L, Ng SM, et al. Transition between paediatric and adult diabetes healthcare services: An online global survey of healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2024;111768. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2024.111768. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38971378.
