CSII experience among higher specialist trainees: a Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologists Forum survey

Abstract

Experience of the management of patients with type 1 diabetes treated with insulin pumps tends to vary significantly among clinicians in training. The Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologists Forum (YDEF), a body representing diabetes registrars, undertook a web‐based survey of doctors to assess their familiarity, confidence and experience in dealing with the various aspects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) given its relative technical complexity and lack of formal training. A total of 101 trainees (24%) responded to this survey. One‐third of trainees (38%) had no formal CSII training. Of the 62% of trainees who had had some form of training, including attendance on an insulin pump course, only 45% were able to set up and prime an insulin pump; 55% and 67% of trainees were able to set up basal and bolus insulin doses respectively, and 77% understood the insulin pump sick day rules. Individual trainee experience with pump starts varied between zero and 14 patients with an average of two per trainee, which is arguably inadequate. We conclude that the provision of CSII training varies considerably in the UK; training opportunities and exposure to pump therapy in practice vary greatly, which reflects a lack of formal detail or consideration of this in the UK curriculum. We propose a basic set of pump training competencies which diabetes registrars should be expected to work towards and fulfil prior to the completion of training. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons.

Launch of the ABCD Insulin Pump Network UK

“…4 Similarly, trainee doctors also reported little experience of training in insulin pumps. 5 There is currently no dedicated forum to support the ~160 UK insulin pump teams who are delivering insulin pump therapy and the associated emerging technologies. The authors hope that the IPN-UK will fill this gap, providing a platform for teams to communicate and work towards a shared vision of best practice.…”

YDEF Insulin Pump Course 2014

“…The authors concluded that this may well be due to a lack of training of professional staff. 1,2 So with this in mind, the YDEF has continued to support and run the 3 day Insulin Pump Course. Behind the scenes, Dr Pratik Choudhary, Senior Lecturer and Consultant at King's College Hospital, put together a faculty of internationally recognised speakers and experienced members of the pump MDT, including senior DSNs and dieticians.…”

X‐ray Structural Analysis of Tau‐Tubulin Kinase 1 and Its Interactions with Small Molecular Inhibitors

“…The utilisation of CSII therapy in the UK is only 6%, lower than the anticipated 15–20% and lagging behind other European countries such as Germany, Norway (>15%) and America (>40%) 2,3. The recent United Kingdom Insulin Pump Audit confirmed a lack of trained health care professionals as a key factor limiting the expansion of CSII services within the UK and this has been further supported by a recent Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologists Forum survey 4,5…”