Coming of age with diabetes: patients' views of a clinic for under-25 year olds
Eiser, C.; Flynn, M.; Green, E.; Havermans, T.; Kirby, R.; Sandeman, D.; Tooke, J.E.
Diabetic Medicine a Journal of the British Diabetic Association 10(3): 285-289
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0742-3071 PMID: 8485964 Document Number: 417757
This study is both an evaluation of patients' perceptions of a diabetes clinic for under-25 year olds, and an assessment of experiences in transferring from a paediatric clinic. Sixty-nine patients with Type 1 diabetes (74% of the total clinic), including 41 females, completed evaluations of the clinic and recall of experiences in transfer. Mean age on transferring clinic was 15.9 (range 12-20) years. Paediatricians were perceived to emphasise family and social life, school or work progress; adult physicians tended to stress the risk of long-term complications, importance of exercise and need to maintain strict levels of glycaemic control. Our data suggest that transition to adult care can generally be achieved non-traumatically, but patients may perceive some difficulty because of different emphases and treatment advice favoured by paediatricians and adult physicians.