Nurse-led therapeutic patient education program on glycemic control and emotional wellbeing in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus during hospital transition.

INTRODUCTION

The transition of adolescents from pediatric to adult hospitals is a planned and guided process that involves changes in the focus, style, and location of care. During this period, complications are common in those with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The objective of this study was to understand the influence of a nurse-led structured therapeutic education program on maintaining glycemic control and emotional wellbeing in these adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Monocentric quasi-experimental clinical trial of a single group. SPSS and R-Commander were used for statistical analysis, including Student's t-test, Wilcoxon test, Cohen's d, Rosenthal's r, and multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 15 adolescents with a 5-to-17-year history of the disease participated in the study. They had a BMI of 18-26.3kg/m and were on basal-bolus therapy. No significant differences were found in glycemic control and emotional wellbeing between baseline values and at 3 months. A significant difference in self-care was observed at 12 months. Family function and eating disorders were positively associated at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The structured therapeutic education program for adolescents with T1DM transitioning from pediatric to adult care maintains glycemic control and emotional wellbeing.