Evaluation of a systems navigator model for transition from pediatric to adult care for young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Objectives: To determine whether a systems navigator service, The Maestro Project, could increase medical surveillance for young adults with type 1 diabetes who transfer from pediatric to adult care.

Research Design And Methods: There were two cohorts of participants: 1) a younger group (aged 18 years, n = 82) who had the assistance of the navigator as they graduated from pediatric care and 2) an older group (aged 19-25 years) who were transferred to adult care without this initial support but later enrolled in the program.

Results: Of the older group (who did not have initial access to the navigator), 40% dropped out of adult medical care, compared with a dropout rate of 11% for the younger group, who had access to the navigator at the time of transfer from pediatric care.

Building connections for young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Manitoba: feasibility and acceptability of a transition initiative.

During the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care there is often a high rate of medical dropout and increased rates of acute and chronic complications. Building Connections: The Maestro Project was initiated in September 2002 by the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents and the City of Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in Manitoba, Canada to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an administrative support and systems navigation service for young adults with type 1 diabetes. The participation rate on February 28, 2005 was 78.