Aims To satisfy DQUINS Best Practice Tariff “each patient [should have] an annual assessment to review whether access to psychological support or input to their care by a clinical psychologist is needed”. The team collectively decided to adopt the PedsQL Diabetes Module 3.2 and the PedsQL Well-Being questionnaires.

Methods Between January and March 2015 all children/young people and their parents were given the PedsQL Diabetes and PedsQL Well-being questionnaires to complete during their quarterly outpatient clinic appointment. Targeted data collection continued until June 2015 to reach previously missed patients. Questionnaire data was then analysed and compared with average HbA1c scores over the previous year (March 2014–2015). Data was also compared to recorded contacts with the clinical psychologist in the period April 2014 to December 2015.

With an average clinic size of 130 patients, the team achieved 78.5% compliance (or 102 questionnaires received), with this method of screening. Data from the 8–18 year old group will be reported (n = 85).

Results The PedsQL Diabetes questionnaire poorly predicted the variability in HbA1c when completed by young people (r² = 0.0185) but was improved with parental data (r² = 0.1065). 25 young people accessed two or more psychology appointments through staff-led and family-led referrals; their data was compared to the remaining 60. The clinical psychology group had higher HbA1c scores, more problems with diabetes management, and poorer well-being; judged both by young people and their parents (Table 1). The clinical psychology group (across young people and parents) also consistently rated three PedsQL Diabetes items higher than peers in the clinic: feeling grumpy or cranky, finding diabetes hard to manage, and arguing about diabetes within the family.

Conclusion The results indicate that the PedsQL Diabetes questionnaire should be used to further help clinic staff determine which young people and families should be referred to clinical psychology, as good HbA1c may mask problem areas.