Report Backs Proactive Pediatric-Adult Diabetes Care Handoff

A new consensus report from the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the American Diabetes Association calls for a more deliberate transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care. The report, published in *Diabetes Care*, recommends that planning begin 1-2 years before the actual handoff, rather than treating the move to adult services as a single administrative step.

The authors, led by Carine de Beaufort of the University of Luxembourg, argue that adolescents and young adults with diabetes need uninterrupted access to specialized care, peer support, and safe school or work environments as they become more independent in managing the disease. The report notes that transition periods are often associated with missed appointments, emergency service use, hospital admissions, and higher long-term risks when care continuity breaks down.

The article matters because transition care is a vulnerable point for young people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The consensus emphasizes structured preparation, coordinated communication between pediatric and adult teams, and support for self-management skills. For clinicians and health systems, it frames transition planning as a patient-safety issue rather than a scheduling detail, especially because poor handoffs can contribute to preventable complications and worse outcomes in early adulthood.