Hybrid closed-loop systems are made up of an insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor and a maths program or algorithm. The algorithm collects data from both the insulin pump and the continuous glucose monitor and then triggers the insulin pump to adjust the insulin dose automatically in an effort to maintain target blood glucose levels. This is an exciting and rapidly advancing area of research.
The national Hybrid Closed-Loop Outpatient Trial will test the use of an automated insulin delivery system to see if it is better at optimising blood glucose levels than standard therapy. It will include 160 participants aged 12 to 25 and 120 adults aged 26 to 65 years.
This project attempts to understand how hybrid closed-loop systems affect the quality of life for young people living with Type 1 Diabetes, in addition to its potential savings to the healthcare system.
The hybrid closed-loop system consists of an insulin pump, sensor with transmitter attached and an algorithm within the pump that automatically works out how much insulin is needed and is adjusted every five minutes. This study will tell us if using an artificial pancreas is better than either insulin injections or normal insulin pump therapy at keeping blood glucose levels within the normal range.
This study will also explore how this technology affects how people feel about managing diabetes, specifically through improving their blood glucose levels, reducing diabetes complications and making treatment easier — which all goes towards reducing the burden of diabetes.
The Hybrid Closed-Loop Outpatient Trial is a multi-centre study involving a number of Australian hospitals, and is funded by the Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network, an innovative clinical research program led by JDRF Australia and funded by a Special Research Initiative through the Australian Research Council.