Experience of People with Diabetes Treated with Insulin Delivery Systems in France: A Comparative Analysis of Multiple Daily Injections, Tubeless Pumps, Tubed Pumps, and Hybrid Closed Loops.

INTRODUCTION

While people with diabetes (PWD)'s experiences with their insulin delivery systems (IDS) are frequently reported in clinical trials, few real-world data exist on the subject. This study aimed to assess the real-world experience and satisfaction with IDS in PWD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey of PWD treated with tubed or tubeless insulin pumps, hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems, or multiple daily injections (MDI) for at least 3 months ran from 4 to 16 May 2023. The questionnaire containing bespoke questions and the Insulin Delivery System Rating Questionnaire (IDSRQ) satisfaction and interference subscales was answered by subscribers of the Aide aux Jeunes Diabétiques patient association and users of the MyDiabby Healthcare web platform.

RESULTS

Of 896 analysable respondents (552 children [age 10.7 ± 3.8 years, 46.9% female, all type 1] and 344 adults [age 43.1 ± 19.3 years, 61.9% female, 87.2% type 1]), HCL and pump users reported greater satisfaction with their IDS on the IDSRQ satisfaction subscale (HCL, 70.9 ± 17.7 [n = 208]; tubeless, 66.6 ± 19.1 [n = 272]; tubed, 64.1 ± 21.6 [n = 215]) than MDI users (53.1 ± 23.0 [n = 201]; all p < 0.001). Regarding the interference subscale, tubeless pumps (31.1 ± 24.8) performed similarly to HCLs (37.0 ± 25.5; p = 0.07) and significantly better than tubed pumps (38.6 ± 26.0; p < 0.001) and MDI (42.2 ± 24.3; p < 0.001). Furthermore, 84.6% of tubeless pump users would retain their style of pump for their ideal HCL, almost twice as often as tubed pump users.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate a more positive person-reported experience with HCLs or tubeless pumps than with tubed pumps or MDI, primarily due to less interference with daily life, which most tubeless pump users would like to retain when transitioning to a HCL system. Overall, this pioneering study underscores the importance of patient preferences, providing valuable information for physicians prescribing IDS, and facilitating discussions about treatment options.