606-P: What Do People with Type 1 Diabetes Think of a Fully Implantable Bionic Invisible Pancreas? A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The EU project “FORGETDIABETES” will develop a fully implantable automated insulin delivery (AID) system. It will consist of an intraperitoneal pump and an implantable CGM sensor. It aims at providing fully automated diabetes management with minimal user interaction. Semi-structured interviews to explore human factors of the bionic invisible pancreas (BIP) were conducted with people with type 1 diabetes. All participants provided written informed consent and were shown a video illustrating the components and functionality of the BIP. Participants were asked about aspects of life that could benefit from the BIP and aspects of life that could become more complicated. Interviews from 38 people were analysed. The most frequently mentioned aspect that could benefit was psychological with expected positive effects on quality of life, reduced diabetes distress, and less thinking about diabetes. Also, better glycaemic control and improvements regarding long-term complications were also frequently mentioned as aspects that could benefit. Aspects that might become more complicated related mostly to technical aspects (implantation procedure, taking an insulin pill, being dependent on the technology) . Loss of control was also a frequently named issue. Psychological aspects such as improvements in quality of life but also loss of control are important human factors for future AID systems. Disclosure D.Ehrmann: Advisory Panel; Dexcom, Inc., Consultant; mySugr, Roche Diabetes Care, Speaker's Bureau; Berlin-Chemie AG, Dexcom, Inc. K.Finke-groene: Speaker's Bureau; Berlin-Chemie AG. B.Kulzer: Advisory Panel; Bayer AG, Bayer AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Berlin-Chemie AG, Berlin-Chemie AG, Dexcom, Inc., Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Novo Nordisk, Roche Diabetes Care, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Research Support; Novo Nordisk, Roche Diabetes Care. N.Hermanns: Advisory Panel; Abbott Diabetes, Research Support; Becton, Dickinson and Company, Roche Diagnostics, Speaker's Bureau; Berlin-Chemie AG, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi. Funding The present work was supported by H2020-FETPROACT Project FORGETDIABETS, n. 951933