Topical Review: Advancing Research on the Transition to Adult Care for Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: To acknowledge and address the gaps in health care transition (HCT) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) literature by proposing an expanded model that could guide future research.

Method: Topical literature review.

Results: Empirical research examining the outcomes of HCT in T1D is limited by methodological and interpretive problems. The relevant evidence indicates that HCT outcomes are both multi-systemic and multidimensional; the authors propose an expanded model that incorporates multiple stakeholder perspectives of HCT outcomes.

Conclusions: The development and validation of a standard index of HCT outcomes based on the expanded model of HCT outcomes could provide a means for assessing relations between HCT readiness and outcomes, facilitate the design of longitudinal studies to determine the predictive validity of HCT readiness assessment and the efficacy of HCT interventions, and inform the design and evaluation of appropriate interventions targeting those mechanisms.