Advancing Early‐Stage Type 1 Diabetes Care: Future Focused Pathways for Identification, Screening, Diagnosis, and Monitoring

BACKGROUND: Although international guidelines provide recommendations for screening and monitoring of early-stage type 1 diabetes (T1D), navigating the care pathway can still be difficult for individuals, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs). These challenges are exacerbated by variations in healthcare systems, gaps in communication, and limited psychosocial support. AIMS: This manuscript aims to bridge the gap between theory and clinical practice and present practical, stage-specific recommendations for early-stage T1D care in pediatric and adult populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article was informed by a structured literature review, qualitative interviews with HCPs in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, and multidisciplinary expert input from the CARE-T1D working group. The group comprised six pediatric and six adult endocrinologists, and two psychologists from the EU, UK, and US. RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Here we present proposed care pathways for pediatric and adult early-stage T1D, integrating recommendations for clear communication, care coordination, and psychosocial support throughout. This manuscript is intended to support the standardization of early-stage T1D detection and monitoring, thereby contributing to improved outcomes, including reducing the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hospitalization at stage 3 T1D diagnosis.