The Factors Related to Readiness for Transition to Adult Healthcare Services among Patients with Childhood-onset Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

The present study assessed the factors related to readiness for transition to adult healthcare services among patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes after studying the characteristics of patients who had already been transferred to the Department of Internal Medicine. Sixty-nine patients (12-24 years old) were surveyed for their readiness for transition to adult healthcare services, diabetes self-management status, acceptance of disease, and self-efficacy for diabetes. As a result, only 4 (36.4 %) of the 11 patients were ready for transition, even if they had already transferred to the Department of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, only 14 (24.1 %) of the 58 patients being followed up in the Department of Pediatrics were ready for transition. The median total score for "knowledge" and "behaviors" related to readiness were both higher in patients who had already been transferred to the Department of Internal Medicine than in those who had yet to transfer, but the difference between the two groups was not significant. In addition, the number who had participated in diabetes camp, their age, and their disease duration were newly identified as factors related to readiness. Patients should be made ready for transition before transferring to the Department of Internal Medicine, but they are not at present. Thus, more support for pediatric patients to prepare them for transition to adult healthcare services is urgently needed.