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Education improved outcomes after transition from pediatric to adult care
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An education program geared toward patients with type 1 diabetes transitioning from pediatric to adult care yielded improvements in glycemic control, diabetes self-management and quality of life, according to data presented at EASD 2013.
Researchers evaluated the 12-month effects of a specially designed transition therapeutic education program on 189 patients aged about 18 years with type 1 diabetes transferring from pediatric to adult care units. The program consisted of a coordinated transfer from a pediatric to adult diabetes unit, individual visits and group sessions.
At 12 months, HbA1c decreased from 8.6% at baseline to 8% (P=.02), according to the abstract. The researchers also found a decrease in hypoglycemic episodes from 0.31 severe events per patient per year to 0.07 (P<.001), and the frequency of more than five mild episodes per week declined from 9.4% to 6.5% (P=.04).
Results revealed an increase from 25 to 27.7 in scores on a knowledge of diabetes management test (P=.04). Frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose also rose from 20.5 to 22.7 determinations per week (P<.01). According to a self-reported questionnaire, improvement in worrying about diabetes-related issues was also associated with the education program.
“The use of a specific transition [therapeutic education program] improves metabolic control, self-management abilities and some aspects of diabetes-related [quality of life] of young [type 1 diabetes] subjects transferred from pediatric care to an adult diabetes unit,” the researchers wrote.
For more information:
Giménez M. P-1127. Presented at: the 49th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes; Sept. 24-27, 2013; Barcelona, Spain.
Disclosure: Endocrine Today could not confirm financial disclosures at this time.