Parent and Adolescent Perspectives on a Novel Transdisciplinary Model of Health Care Delivery for Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: We aimed to obtain preadolescent/adolescent and parent input on a proposed transdisciplinary model for routine Type 1 diabetes (T1D) health care in which an advanced practice nurse, dietitian, and psychologist with expertise in T1D and extensive cross-discipline training codeliver care during quarterly T1D care visits using a family-focused approach. Method: Participants were 17 parent-youth dyads plus one additional adolescent who responded to open-ended questions about the structure and format of the proposed transdisciplinary care model via an online, private social network. A six-member coding team developed and revised a codebook, coded question responses through iterative cycles of inductive coding, and distilled major recurring themes to obtain perspectives on the transdisciplinary care model and feedback on improving the model. Results: We identified nine themes regarding reactions to our proposed transdisciplinary care model, which fell into three broad categories: (a) general perceptions of transdisciplinary care (e.g., transdisciplinary care may facilitate improved communication and collaboration among providers and result in more holistic care); (b) perceptions about transdisciplinary care providers (e.g., perspectives on the inclusion of dietitians and psychologists as members of the transdisciplinary care team were mixed); and (c) suggestions for improving the transdisciplinary care model (e.g., ensure care is patient/family-centered and holistic). Conclusions: The present findings provided important feedback to modify our transdisciplinary care model and on parent and youth preferences for T1D health care delivery.