Abstract
Background: 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.Objective: This study explored how adolescents with diabetes mellitus (DM) transition from pediatric to adult care at Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana.Methods: 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.Findings: 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.Conclusion: 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.
Published Version
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