Transition of Adolescents With Diabetes Mellitus to Adult Care at the Ho Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Transitioning adolescents with diabetes from pediatric to adult care poses significant challenges, especially in low-resource settings like Ghana. Poorly coordinated transitions can disrupt care continuity and adversely impact health outcomes. This study explored how adolescents with diabetes mellitus (DM) transition from pediatric to adult care at Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 adolescents and their caregivers. Thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes and subthemes. Six key themes emerged: (1) inadequate education on DM management, with gaps in adolescents' and caregivers' understanding of the disease and emergency symptoms; (2) limited self-management skills, with caregivers performing most care tasks; (3) poor timing and uncoordinated transfer, with abrupt transitions at age 13; (4) overreliance on caregivers, as caregivers were hesitant to shift responsibilities to adolescents; (5) limited adolescent involvement in care decisions, with healthcare providers engaging more with caregivers; and (6) recommendations for transition improvement, including raising the transfer age, providing skills training, and establishing a transition clinic. The study underscores the need for a structured, developmentally appropriate transition process with targeted education, skills training, and adolescent participation to promote self-management and improve transition outcomes for adolescents with DM.