2020 Volume 63 Issue 11 Pages 776-783
The status of medical care transition from adolescence to adulthood in patients with type 1 diabetes was evaluated through a questionnaire survey (response rate: 44.2 %) among the councilors of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology. The highest number of patients with type 1 diabetes in their institution was between 0 and 19 (65.1 %). Among the patients, the number of patients older than 20 years of age was between 0 and 9 (83.3 %). In the previous 5 years, between 0 and 9 patients most frequently underwent a transition in health care from adolescence to adulthood (81.0 %). Graduation from high school was identified as the most common timepoint for transition (58.3 %). Among the participating institutions, 70.2 % had a department of internal medicine within the same institution and 71.4 % had a department of internal medicine within the same prefecture, which was suitable for transitional medical care; 85.7 % of the patients agreed to transitional medical care, while 14.3 % of patients did not. The main reason for the refusal of transition was the perception that change was unnecessary, and that pediatricians were prepared to continue to provide medical care, except for the treatment of diabetic complications. Thus, pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes should receive education on the importance of transitional medical care from adolescence to adulthood.
