The Evolution of Diabetes Technology – Options Toward Personalized Care

OBJECTIVE: Advances in diabetes technology, especially in the last few decades, have transformed our ability to deliver care to persons with diabetes (PWDs). Developments in glucose monitoring, especially continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, have revolutionized diabetes care and empowered our patients to manage their disease. CGM has also played an integral role in advancing automated insulin delivery systems.

OBSERVATIONS: Currently available and upcoming advanced hybrid closed-loop systems aim to decrease patient involvement and are approaching the functionality of a fully automated artificial pancreas. Other advances, such as smart insulin pens and daily patch pumps, offer more options for patients and require less complicated and costly technology. Evidence to support the role of diabetes technology is growing, and PWD and clinicians must choose the right type of technology with a personalized strategy to manage diabetes effectively.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Here, we review currently available diabetes technologies, summarize their individual features, and highlight key patient factors to consider when creating a personalized treatment plan. We also address current challenges and barriers to the adoption of diabetes technologies.