PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Van Walleghem, Norma
AU  - MacDonald, Catherine A.
AU  - Dean, Heather J.
TI  - Evaluation of a Systems Navigator Model for Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care for Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes
AID  - 10.2337/dc07-2247
DP  - 2008 May 05
TA  - Diabetes Care
4099  - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2008/05/05/dc07-2247.short
4100  - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2008/05/05/dc07-2247.full
AB  - Objectives: To determine if a systems navigator service, called the Maestro Project, could increase medical surveillance for young adults with type 1 diabetes who transfer from pediatric to adult care. Methods: There were two cohorts of participants: 1) a younger group (age 18) who had the assistance of the navigator as they graduated from pediatric care (n=84) and 2) an older group (age 19–25 years) who were transferred to adult care without this initial support, but later enrolled in the program. Results: 40% of the older group (who did not have initial access to the navigator) dropped out of adult medical care, compared to a drop-out rate of 11% of the younger group, who had access to the navigator at the time of transfer from pediatric care. Conclusions: The systems navigator helped improve medical surveillance for both groups although there was no evidence of improved short term medical outcomes.