Health care transition in patients with type 1 diabetes: young adult experiences and relationship to glycemic control.
OBJECTIVE
To examine characteristics of the transition from pediatric to adult care in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes and evaluate associations between transition characteristics and glycemic control.


METHODS
We developed and mailed a survey to evaluate the transition process in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes, aged 22 to 30 years, receiving adult diabetes care at a single center. Current A1C data were obtained from the medical record.


RESULTS
The response rate was 53% (258 of 484 eligible). The mean transition age was 19.5 ± 2.9 years, and 34% reported a gap >6 months in establishing adult care. Common reasons for transition included feeling too old (44%), pediatric provider suggestion (41%), and college (33%). Less than half received an adult provider recommendation and <15% reported having a transition preparation visit or receiving written transition materials. The most recent A1C was 8.1 ± 1.3%. Respondents who felt mostly/completely prepared for transition had lower likelihood of a gap >6 months between pediatric and adult care (adjusted odds ratio 0.47 [95% CI 0.25-0.88]). In multivariate analysis, pretransition A1C (β = 0.49, P < 0.0001), current age (β = -0.07, P = 0.03), and education (β = -0.55, P = 0.01) significantly influenced current posttransition A1C. There was no independent association of transition preparation with posttransition A1C (β = -0.17, P = 0.28).


CONCLUSIONS
Contemporary transition practices may help prevent gaps between pediatric and adult care but do not appear to promote improvements in A1C. More robust preparation strategies and handoffs between pediatric and adult care should be evaluated.
Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. katharine.garvey@childrens.harvard.edu
Katharine C
KC
Garvey
Howard A
HA
Wolpert
Erinn T
ET
Rhodes
Lori M
LM
Laffel
Ken
K
Kleinman
Margaret G
MG
Beste
Joseph I
JI
Wolfsdorf
Jonathan A
JA
Finkelstein
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060305:Transition to Adult Care; D055815:Young Adult
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin