Call for use of insulin pumps for diabetes to be standardised

A statement by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has called for greater guidance and standardisation in the management and use of insulin pumps . An increase in use of the pumps has raised concerns about their management, how to identify those patients who need them most, and also about providers that offer clinical supervision and patient training.
Diabetes patients that use a pump usually have only information from manufacturers as guidance, so there is a recognised need for balance in the messages that patients and providers receive. It is hoped the statement will offer a context for use of insulin pumps in clinical practice.
The statement recommends that pumps are used by patients with type 1 diabetes who give themselves at least four insulin injections and at least four self-monitored blood sugar measurements daily, although some patients with type 2 diabetes may also benefit from the therapy. This shows that the patients have a real medical need for a pump and show commitment to their treatment.
The consensus panel also recommended that the pumps are suitable for emotionally mature patients and for people that are happy to regularly communicate with their providers and learn about proper pump use.
George Grunberger, chairman of the AACE Task Force on Insulin Pump Management, said “More and more patients are using insulin pumps, but currently no guidance exists on what to do in terms of both appropriate patient and provider selection and the issue of safety.”
He added “The patient must be interested, ambitious and dedicated enough to care about what happens. You get out what you put into the technology.”