Evaluation of transition of type 1 diabetes paediatric patients to the adults service at The Canberra Hospital

Objective: To determine the age of transition of type 1 diabetes patients from the paediatric to adult service at The Canberra Hospital and to compare the clinical attendance rates between adult and paediatric services. Research Design and Methods: Using the paediatric diabetes database, 176 patients born before 1993 were analysed and their last three paediatric consultations and first three adult consultations recorded. Patients were designated as having been successfully transitioned, unsuccessfully transitioned (stopped), not transitioned but still in paediatric care, and dropped out from paediatric care. The age of transition and paediatric and adult clinic attendance rates were measured. Results: 123 patients were successfully transitioned, 20 patients stopped, seven patients dropped out and 26 are still in paediatric care. The mean age for transition was 16.9 ± 2.3 years (range 10.7 25.4 years). The mean age of the not yet transitionedpatients was 18.1 ± 1.1. The mean age of the last paediatric visit for patients who dropped out was 15.9 ± 3.6 years. The clinical attendance rates were visits every 6.2 ± 3.7 months and 5.1 ± 4.2 months for paediatrics and adults respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The Canberra Hospitals transition program is consistent with the majority of the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Groups clinical practice guidelines, works to address barriers to transition through advanced planning of transition and provision of the adolescent clinic and transitions patients at an age consistent with the literature.