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Psychosocial Impact of the Bionic Pancreas During Summer Camp

Jill Weissberg-Benchell1, Danielle Hessler2, William H Polonsky3

  • 1Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA jwbenchell@luriechildrens.org.

Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
|March 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The bionic pancreas (BP) improved psychosocial outcomes for children with diabetes, reducing fear and burden. However, users desired faster responses and found the equipment cumbersome.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Psychology

Background:

  • The bionic pancreas (BP) is an emerging technology for type 1 diabetes management.
  • Assessing the psychosocial impact of such technologies on pediatric populations is crucial for adoption and adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the psychosocial effects of using the bionic pancreas in children with type 1 diabetes.
  • To identify both benefits and challenges associated with BP use in a pediatric camp setting.

Main Methods:

  • A crossover design was employed, with 19 children randomly assigned to 5 days of BP use and 5 days of control.
  • Psychosocial outcomes were assessed through validated measures and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

  • Children using the bionic pancreas reported significant reductions in fear of hypoglycemia and diabetes regimen burden.
  • Participants felt less worried about diabetes and experienced greater freedom to engage in enjoyable activities.
  • User feedback highlighted a desire for faster BP response to out-of-range glucose levels and annoyance with equipment portability.

Conclusions:

  • The bionic pancreas shows promise for improving psychosocial well-being in children with type 1 diabetes.
  • Key areas for technological improvement include response time and device convenience.
  • Further research in real-world settings with larger cohorts is needed to confirm generalizability.
Abstract

Keywords:
artificial pancreasautomated insulin deliverybionic pancreasdiabetes camppsychosocial

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