Transition and Transfer in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood in Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.
Sara Olsson, Åsa Carlsund, Madeleine Blusi and 4 others
PMID 42274130WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of young adults with type 1 diabetes described feeling abruptly cut off from healthcare at transfer, losing relationships with trusted paediatric nurses and any role in adult visits.
They wanted a bridge and individualised handover.
Key findings
01Parents described feeling abruptly cut off from healthcare when their child moved to adult care, losing long-term caring relationships and their ability to be involved.
02Some parents wanted adult-care diabetes nurse specialists to meet them in paediatric care before transfer so a caring relationship could begin before the move.
03Parents continued to worry about safety even with supportive technology, and several lost access to their child's continuous glucose monitor data because the young adult restricted it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included fourteen parents in northern Sweden, so it cannot be assumed to represent other settings, health systems or diabetes cultures. Nine participants were mothers and five were fathers, and the analysis did not compare mothers' and fathers' experiences. Only one parent had been born outside Sweden, so cultural and language differences were not captured. The findings are based on retrospective accounts of transfer that had happened at least 1 year earlier, and some parents may have forgotten details. The interviewer lived with type 1 diabetes and several research team members had personal diabetes experience, which may have shaped what was noticed and how stories were interpreted. In two interviews, the emerging adult was present in the same room, which may have limited what parents were willing to say. The study did not include the emerging adults' own views, diabetes outcomes, or any tested intervention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that a particular transition programme improves diabetes outcomes. The study asked fourteen parents to describe experiences and did not test any intervention or measure glycaemic control.