Age transitions and medical transitions from paediatric to adult service

Prof. Nicoletta Diasio (Université de Strasbourg, Laboratoire interdisciplinaire en études culturelles, IUF)

The transition between services, from paediatrics to adult medicine, is increasingly seen as a central moment in the care trajectory of people living with chronic illness. Based on a research (ethnographic observations and interviews) carried on in several hospitals in eastern France between 2017 and 2021, this presentation analyses the programmes that support the transition from paediatrics to adult medicine for adolescents and young people with type 1 diabetes. We will focus on young people’s attitudes and concerns with regard to medical transition, how the programme works (or not), and the expected and unexpected effects for both the young people and the healthcare professionals involved. Finally the presentation draws attention to the use of the concept of “dispositif” into the analysis of these formal and informal medical transitions.