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Transition Readiness in Adolescents and Emerging Adults with Diabetes: The Role of Patient-Provider Communication

  • Psychosocial Aspects (KK Hood, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Transition from pediatric to adult care represents a high risk period for adolescents and emerging adults with diabetes. Fundamental differences between pediatric and adult care delivery models may contribute to increased risk for poor health outcomes. This review provides a brief overview of models of care in pediatric and adult settings and focuses on patient-provider communication content and quality as potential points of intervention to improve transition-related outcomes. This review also highlights disparities in transition and communication for adolescents and emerging adults from racial/ethnic minority groups and discusses recent changes in health care legislation that have significant implications for the transition process. Intervention opportunities include programs to enhance developmentally-appropriate patient-provider interactions and increased attention to promoting transition readiness skills. Improving patient-provider communication may hasten the development of vital self-advocacy skills needed in adult health care systems and, thus, help establish a lasting pattern of positive diabetes self-care.

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Acknowledgment

Maureen Monaghan has received grant support from a KL2 Career Development Award from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute-Children's National (KL2TR000076).

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Conflict of Interest

Maureen Monaghan declares that she has no conflict of interest. Marisa Hilliard declares that she has no conflict of interest. Rachel Sweenie declares that she has no conflict of interest. Kristin Riekert declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Translational Science, Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Maureen Monaghan & Rachel Sweenie

  2. Johns Hopkins Adherence Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Marisa Hilliard & Kristin Riekert

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  1. Maureen Monaghan
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Monaghan, M., Hilliard, M., Sweenie, R. et al. Transition Readiness in Adolescents and Emerging Adults with Diabetes: The Role of Patient-Provider Communication. Curr Diab Rep 13, 900–908 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-013-0420-x

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