Management of Diabetes in the Adolescent and Young Adult During Transition

The prevalence of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among children and youth has doubled during the past three decades. The challenges of the transition to adulthood are especially complex for adolescents and emerging adults with diabetes. In this article we review these challenges along with the concept of the Chronic Care Model (CCM). CCM provides an organizational approach to integrated care for people with chronic disease that is sufficiently robust to address both the health care system challenges during transition and the developmental needs of the emerging adult. Patient self management of chronic disease has increasingly been recognized as an essential component of the Chronic Care Model and of effective chronic disease treatment and control. The medical management of children and youth with diabetes, along with screening schedule recommendations, will be also reviewed.