The safety of people living with diabetes must always come first. For many Australians, technologies such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors are essential tools that help prevent dangerous high and low blood glucose levels, reduce the daily burden of living with diabetes and improve long-term health outcomes. For some individuals they can be life-changing or even life-saving.

People living with diabetes need access to balanced, evidence-based information so they can make informed decisions in consultation with their healthcare professionals. When public discussions focus solely on potential risks without also explaining proven benefits, there is a risk that individuals may lose confidence in technologies recommended by their healthcare team that could improve their health outcomes. Informed decisions are best made when people understand both the risks and benefits.

People living with diabetes deserve safe, well-regulated technologies, robust oversight when issues arise, and public conversations that accurately reflect both the risks and the substantial benefits of these important medical devices.

Diabetes Australia supports rigorous regulation, monitoring and oversight of all medical devices used in Australia. An individual or a healthcare professional can report adverse events to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Any adverse event involving a medical device is concerning and should be thoroughly investigated.

People living with diabetes can benefit greatly from diabetes technologies and rightly expect that those available in Australia meet appropriate quality, safety and regulatory standards, and that regulators, manufacturers and healthcare professionals work together to continuously improve patient safety.

Diabetes affects around two million Australians and can cause serious complications including cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss and amputation. Many of these complications can be delayed or prevented through person-centred diabetes management, appropriate healthcare and access to evidence-based treatments and technologies.

There is a substantial body of Australian and international evidence showing that diabetes technologies, including continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps and automated insulin delivery systems, can improve health outcomes, reduce serious complications, help keep people out of hospital and improve quality of life. For many Australians, these technologies have been transformational, helping people achieve better glucose management, reduce the daily burden of diabetes and live longer, healthier lives.

Diabetes technologies are not immune from potential failure. For this reason, it is essential that people using them have an individualised back-up plan in place and know what steps to take if a device is not working as expected. That plan should be developed with a diabetes care team.

Anyone experiencing difficulties with their diabetes technology should contact the device manufacturer, and seek advice from their healthcare professional, as soon as possible.

Public discussion of medical technologies plays an important role in maintaining confidence in our health system and ensuring that safety concerns are identified and addressed. It is equally important that these discussions reflect the full picture. Alongside legitimate concerns about adverse events, Australians should also understand the significant benefits that these technologies provide to many people living with diabetes every day.

As the national peak body representing Australians living with diabetes, Diabetes Australia’s advocacy and policy positions are formed independently and are informed by evidence, expert clinical advice and the lived experience of people living with diabetes. Everything we do is guided by one priority: improving the health, safety and wellbeing of the community we serve.

Informed choice matters. Safety matters. Evidence matters.

Justine Cain
Group Chief Executive Officer
Diabetes Australia

For more information about evidence based clinical guidelines for diabetes  Living Evidence Guidelines for Medical device technology for the management of type 1 diabetes have been developed by the Living Evidence for Diabetes Consortium, which is a collaboration between the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS), Diabetes Australia (DA), the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) and the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG), with representation from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Australian Government Department of Health and Cochrane Australia.