Education for insulin pump use
It positively impacts the quality of life of the PWD, decreases chance of hypoglycaemia, creates freedom of schedule in daily life and enables immediate response and decision making when calculating both basal and bolus. An insulin pump uses only rapid acting insulin. Basal and boluses are decided by physicians and PWD, taking into consideration the history of the PWD and his/her everyday life.
Patient education is essential for the use of an insulin pump. The result of the insulin pump on the metabolic control depends a lot of the proactive behaviour of the user and his/her ability to make decisions. He/she has to evaluate the various needs in special situations (for example exercise, prolonged fasting, infections, etc.) and schedule different profiles of insulin according his/her metabolic history. With the proper education on how to use the insulin pump, the person can decide to use more bolus doses or change the basal rate temporarily, and therefore is able to use the pump effectively.
What barriers and facilitators have you identified in educating about insulin pump use?
Information about the moderator
Dr Maria Lidia Ruiz (MD) is a family physician and diabetologist. Currently, Dr Ruiz is the Director of School of Certified Diabetes Educators of the Argentine Society of Diabetes in Buenos Aires Argentina and a member of a member of the IDF Consultative Section on Diabetes Education.
References
1) Alsaleh, et al. (2014). Insulin pump therapy: impact on the lives of children/young people with diabetes mellitus and their parents.
2) Malik, F. S., & Taplin, C. E. (2014). Insulin therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
3) Reece, S. W., & Williams, C. L. H. (2014). Insulin Pump Class: Back to the Basics of Pump Therapy.
4) Reznik, Y., Morello, R., Zenia, A., Morera, J., Rod, A., & Joubert, M. (2014). Autonomy of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes With an Insulin Pump Device: Is It Predictable?