Diabetes Transition Program
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The shift from child-centered to adult healthcare can be a challenge for young people with diabetes and their families. Many patients graduating from pediatrics receive no care at all until an urgent issue, such as pregnancy or a complication, forced them into the adult healthcare system.
At the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, we are committing to avoiding this interruption of care. Our Center has a special transition program for teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes, coordinated by our pediatric and adult diabetes teams.
We help teens and young adults take responsibility for their own diabetes self-care, depending on when each individual patient is ready. We understand young adults face many big changes: moving away from home, going to college, and starting a job. With these new demands, diabetes management can seem daunting and time consuming. However, we help patients establish healthy lifelong habits.
All teens and young adults are introduced to the transition program after age 16. First, patients establish their transition "readiness" using a standard survey. Patients are then referred to a pediatric diabetes educator to review a checklist of facts and skills that are important to know as an independent adult with diabetes. These education sessions help prepare patients for the transition to the adult diabetes care team and give them an opportunity to have their questions answered. Once during this transition phase, patients can also meet up for a fun, interactive workshop with other teens.
Once complete, patients will be well-prepared to begin care with an adult endocrinologist at the Berrie Center.
