15 Jun Insulin On Demand – the future of diabetes management?
I have seen first-hand what developments within the type 1 diabetes landscape have on how patients see their future. My partner has type 1 diabetes and the step-change over recent years in terms of increasing patient access to life-changing technology, including Flash glucose monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring, and insulin pumps generates genuine enthusiasm. It’s not hard to see why, the benefits of these developments have been significant, with evidence showing improvements to blood sugar levels and easier self-management.
The New Tech on the Block
Earlier this year, NICE published draft guidance recommending the use of hybrid closed loop systems to help some people manage their blood glucose levels – specifically, people with type 1 diabetes who have a HbA1c (an indication of how well diabetes is being controlled) of around 8% despite already using a pump or continuous or flash glucose monitoring. This equates to around 100,000 people across England and Wales.
NICE’s consultation process is now closed and publication of final guidance setting out who they recommend the technology for is imminent.
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But what exactly are hybrid closed loop systems?
Hybrid closed loop systems work by linking insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors with a computer algorithm that can calculate the amount of insulin someone needs based on blood sugar readings. The pump then delivers insulin directly to the bloodstream when its required, helping to regulate blood sugar levels automatically and taking away the burden of manual injections.
But who gets it?
Patients and key opinion leaders – including the social media heavyweight Professor Partha Kar, Diabetes National Speciality Advisor with NHS England – have been calling for this technology for a long time. But with every new technology, the same old question rears its head again around value for money and cost-effectiveness.
The real-world data and evidence generated by randomised controlled trials is clear –: there are benefits to recommending this technology’s use. It has the ability to transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes, improving both clinical outcomes and their quality of life.
But people with lower HbA1c’s are still grappling with the condition day in, day out; constantly making calculations and judgements on how much insulin to manually inject for pretty much anything they consume.
Is it fair that they aren’t granted access to the same transformative technology?
by Ella Robinson, Senior Account Director