Adolescent and Young Adult Diabetes Program

University of Washington (UW) and Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH) have collaborated to create a state-of-the-art program to assist young adults with diabetes mellitus in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program features a multidisciplinary care team of physicians (both adult and pediatric endocrinologists), a psychologist, a nurse educator, a dietitian, and a social worker. The primary focus of the team is to address the unique challenges that arise during this time and prepare young adults for a successful life of managing diabetes. Research opportunities exist for adolescents and young adults; in fact, one of the exciting elements of the new home for the UW Medicine Diabetes Institute Clinic is that the clinical team and the research team work side-by-side.

What is a Supported Transition and Why is it Important?
A health care transition is the planned and purposeful movement of young adults from child-centered to adult-oriented care systems. A successful transition from pediatric to adult care for youth with diabetes supports them in establishing lifelong healthy behaviors. There are significant differences in the patient experience between pediatric and adult health care. Pediatric care is typically holistic and family focused with longer visits that frequently incorporate resources from on-site social work and psychology. In contrast, visits in adult care are often shorter and more medically-focused with fewer resources available to immediately address any psychological or financial needs. Lack of transition support can lead to less engagement in diabetes management, worsening of psychological challenges, and loss of medical follow up putting youth at risk for developing both short-term and long-term complications from diabetes.