Psychological outcomes of injection port therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their primary caregivers

Excerpt

For children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), the large number of daily injections can induce discomfort, pain, and distress and have been described as one of the negative predictors of adherence to insulin therapy [1]. Poor adherence to diabetes regimens impairs good metabolic control, which is described as significantly associated with better youth-rated quality of life and lower perceived family burden [2]. Advances in insulin delivery systems and diabetes technology, such as the insulin pump (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring system, have been found to improve glycemic control and positively impact quality of life for children and family with T1DM [3]. Similarly, evidence describes indwelling catheters as insulin infusion devices as able to minimize distress during injections [4]. To further explore the psychosocial impact of such implantable devices in youth patients with T1DM, this study evaluated the effects of injection port usage on participants’ quality of life and on caregivers’ burden and treatment satisfaction. …