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Diabetes Clinic

The Diabetes Clinic cares for infants, children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as some children who are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Your first appointment (top)

Your doctor has referred your child to the Diabetes Clinic. You have recently received a phone call to book your appointment.

Note: If you need to cancel, please contact the clinic as soon as possible (preferably, more than 48 hours in advance), so that your appointment time can be used by another patient.

If your child has been in contact with any infectious diseases (e.g. chicken pox or measles) during the three weeks before this appointment, please inform us as soon as possible, as your child may need to be rescheduled.

We have a team approach to providing care to children and families. You will therefore meet several members of the diabetes team:

  • clerical staff to book appointments
  • diabetes nurse educators to help you understand your child's condition and treatment
  • diabetes dietitians to discuss the diabetic meal plan
  • a social worker/counselor who can assist you in coping with the stresses of your child's condition, as well as searching for helpful resources
  • physicians who are specialists in childhood diabetes (pediatric endocrinologists)
  • because Children’s is a teaching hospital, you may also meet doctors-in-training (pediatric residents, endocrinology fellows and medical students), dietitian interns and student nurses
Where is the Diabetes Clinic located? (top)

British Columbia's Children's Hospital
4480 Oak Street, Room K2-125
(Children's Ambulatory Care Building, 2nd floor, Area #12, orange section)
Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4 Canada
Phone: 604-875-2868 / Fax: 604-875-3231

Click here for a map to our clinics.

What happens at the first visit? (top)

You can get directions to the clinic from the admitting desk in the lobby. Normally, patients are pre-registered and come straight to the clinic. For new patients, the first visit to our clinic usually takes place on a Monday. Some families will stay for more in-depth teaching on Tuesday. Child care and food are not provided as part of the clinic visit on either day.

What happens on Monday? (top)

On the first day, your child will be seen by a physician, a diabetes nurse educator and a dietitian. Each of these visits will last about 1 hour. You will be with your young child for the entire visit. Adolescents and their parents are welcome to see the clinic staff separately as well.

Your child will have an A1C done by finger poke, and you will receive the results in clinic. Finally, your child will go to the laboratory for blood and possibly testing. A detailed report of your child's assessment will be sent to your referring doctor, and to other health professionals at your request. Freedom of Information requests are managed BC Children’s Hospital Records Management.

If your child is scared of needles, EMLA® or Ametop™, effective topical anesthetics when applied one to two hours prior to the needle poke, can be used. Ask the nurse about this when you arrive.

Plan on being at the hospital for at least four hours on Monday. Younger children may find this tiring, and although they are welcome, alternative babysitting arrangements may make your visit more comfortable.

What happens on Tuesday? (top)

Usually, we will have contacted your family to determine your learning needs prior to your first visit. Some families will benefit from attending our outpatient diabetes education workshop, which is designed for primary caregivers and youth who have already had some education and are ready to learn more. It is also helpful for those needing a review.

The workshop is from 9 AM until 4 PM. A diabetes nurse educator and dietitian teach the workshop and cover the following topics: hypoglycemia, glucagon, sick-day management, basic insulin-dose adjustment, physical activity, carbohydrate counting, food substitutions, and label reading. A doctor usually talks about why diabetes occurs and gives an update on new developments in diabetes care and research.

Food is not provided as part of the program, but time is arranged for snack and lunch breaks. Child care is not available.

Who can come to the teaching sessions? (top)

Primary caregivers, older brothers and sisters, foster parents, etc. It would probably be best to leave the young patient and younger siblings who wouldn't benefit by coming at home with appropriate supervision or with a sitter. The sessions are covered by the patient's BC Medical Services Plan.

What should I bring to the clinic visit? (top)

It is important to your child to make this visit as informative as possible, so the adult(s) who come with him/her should have the best knowledge of the patient's history.

Please bring the following to each clinic visit:

  • your BC CareCard
  • your blue BC Children’s Hospital card (if you have one)
  • the blood glucose meter
  • a written record of the blood sugar logbook (with at least two weeks of blood sugars)
  • the meal plan
  • if possible, bring previous height and weight measurements
Many parents find it helpful to bring a list of questions they would like to discuss when they are here. Please note that no meals or snacks are provided.

Can I see a social worker? (top)

Many of our patients or parents would like to see the social worker/counsellor on the first visit. If this is the case, please call us so that we can book an appointment during the time you'll be here.

Where can I find information about travel assistance, travel and accommodation? (top)

For information about the travel assistance plan, please go to out-of-town families. You can also find information about travel, and accommodation, and other resources.

What are the follow-up clinic visits like? (top)

We follow most patients every 6–12 months in the clinic, depending on your child's age, how far away you live, and your doctor's wishes. We will arrange a follow-up visit with you before you leave.

Follow-up visits are shorter, about 2 hours to see everyone and go to the lab if necessary.

Please let us know your questions and any way we can make this visit more comfortable for you.

Page Last Updated: 13 June 2009