The effect of insulin pump therapy on quality of life in patients with type 1 diabetes

Introduction: Diabetes leads to metabolic disorders, which increase susceptibility to life-threatening complications that negatively affect the patients' and their family members' quality of life (QoL). The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of insulin pump therapy on QoL in type 1 diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: This before-and after-intervention study was performed on 47 patients with type 1 diabetes who referred to Loghman Hospital in Tehran during 2018 and 2019. The short form of the Diabetes Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQOL) was used to collect data. Results: The mean score of QoL before providing the intervention was 38.23±7.95 that increased to 51.72±12.15 after the intervention (P<0.001). Scores for both dimensions of QoL, including patient care behaviors and satisfaction with disease control, increased significantly after providing the intervention (P<0.001). There was a significant direct association between the patient's age and the duration of the disease with increasing QoL score (r=0.365, P=0.015), (r=0.306, P=0.039). Conclusion: Using an insulin pump could improve the QoL of patients with type 1 diabetes and its dimensions, such as patient care behaviors and satisfaction with disease control.