Improving the Patient Experience With Longer Wear Infusion Sets Symposium Report

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy is becoming increasingly popular. CSII provides convenient insulin delivery, precise dosing, easy adjustments for physical activity, stress, or illness, and integration with continuous glucose monitors in hybrid or other closed-loop systems. However, even as insulin pump hardware and software have advanced, technology for insulin infusion sets (IISs) has stayed relatively stagnant over time and is often referred to as the Achilles heel of CSII. To discuss barriers to insulin pump therapy and present information about advancements in, and results from clinical trials of extended wear IISs, Diabetes Technology Society virtually hosted the Improving the Patient Experience with Longer Wear Infusion Sets Symposium on December 1, 2021. The symposium featured experts in the field of IISs, including representatives from Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, University of California San Francisco, Stanford University, Medtronic Diabetes, and Science Consulting in Diabetes. The webinar's seven speakers covered (1) advancements in insulin pump therapy, (2) efficacy of longer wear infusion sets, and (3) innovations to reduce plastics and insulin waste.

Automated summary

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy is gaining popularity due to its convenient insulin delivery, precise dosing, easy adjustments, and integration with continuous glucose monitors. However, technology for insulin infusion sets (IISs) has not kept pace with advancements in insulin pump hardware and software, posing challenges to CSII. To address these barriers and showcase advancements in longer wear IISs, a symposium was held, featuring experts in the field and covering topics such as insulin pump therapy advancements, efficacy of longer wear infusion sets, and innovation in reducing waste.