Insulin pumps for diabetes are commonly used today, especially in the treatment of children and adolescents. However, there is a considerable lack of knowledge regarding the effects of insulin pump therapy on illness and mortality. This lack of knowledge also extends to the use of insulin pumps in combination with continuous glucose monitoring, so called sensor-augmented pump therapy (SAP). More well-performed long-term studies of all patient groups with diabetes are required.

People with diabetes are considerably more satisfied with SAP than with intensive injection therapy and self-monitoring of blood glucose with test strips. Being satisfied with the treatment may be important in terms of achieving better blood glucose control. Available knowledge is less clear when it comes to treat- ment satisfaction with insulin pumps only.

There is limited or insufficient knowledge regarding the effect of insulin pumps or SAP on quality of life, ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycaemia.

The intervention cost of insulin pump therapy is more per patient and year compared to injection therapy. For adults, insulin pumps are used predominantly when injection therapy fails to achieve the treatment goals; it is rarely the first-choice treatment. The higher cost must be contrasted with the short- and long-term benefits from a well-functioning diabetes therapy. Individual assessment is therefore warranted pending new studies.

For children of preschool age, insulin pumps tend to be the first-choice treatment when diabetes is diagnosed. This can be particularly important when it is difficult to inject sufficiently small doses or there is fear of needles.

The most important measure for long-term glucose control is HbA_1c, which is also closely linked to diabetes complications. Insulin pump therapy has shown some improvement in HbA_1c in the short term. Studies on SAP indicate additional improvement in HbA_1c. If future studies with longer follow-up periods show continued improvement, the risk of diabetes complications would be reduced.