The correlation between diabetes and psychiatry has been a fascinating topic of discussion among endocrinologists and mental health professionals for years. In the 17th century, it was speculated that diabetes was caused by ‘Long sorrows and other forms of depression’ and that ‘Diabetes is a condition which often shows itself in families in which mental health issues prevail’.

It is now believed that diabetes and psychiatric disorders share a bidirectional association, influencing each other in multiple ways. Over the years, this interference has been studied more extensively with greater scientific rigour. This article will reflect on the psychological benefits Omnipod insulin management has been showing among type 1 diabetes patients in terms of better mind-body connection and overall quality of life.

What Is Omnipod?

Omnipod is a state-of-the-art insulin pump that combines a unique wireless and tubeless technology combination for administering insulin for type 1 diabetes. It is a battery-operated pump that delivers small amounts of insulin 24 hours a day and communicates wirelessly with a personal manager to program insulin delivery simply and effectively.

You program the variable rates into the PDM (Personalized Diabetes Management) to tailor the insulin delivery according to your needs. Your doctor will help you analyse your insulin needs to manage your diabetes conveniently and discreetly according to your condition, diet, and lifestyle.

Under our GluCare model, you will remain continuously connected and engaged with your coach, who can clarify questions in the app, let you know how well you’re progressing, and remind you about important check-ups that are required to help you reach your personal and diabetes management goals. This allows healthy adjustments to your diet and lifestyle in real time, which has proven to be superior in comparison to episodic usual care practised by most healthcare providers.

Diabetes-Specific Psychosocial Impact Of Omnipod

One of the significant psychological benefits omnipod provides for patients with type 1 diabetes is relaxing the demanding and strict diabetes management routine to which they are confined. Omnipod eliminates many of the restrictions associated with using traditional insulin, resulting in a convenient and hassle-free lifestyle.

Here is a breakdown of the key features of Omnipod that helps diabetes patients derive positive psychological benefits with regard to their diabetes management.

Wearability

You can continuously wear the pod for 3 days without needing multiple injections. This eliminates the symptoms relating to insulin injection anxiety, phobia, excessive pain, skin induration and fat atrophy, which can have a negative mental and psychical health impact on diabetes management.

Tubeless Feature

The tubeless Omnipods can be worn discreetly without having to clip on anything. You can place the pod anywhere you normally inject, and you won’t have to worry about tubes tangled on door knobs or handles as with traditional insulin pumps.

This gives more freedom of movement and mobility, confidently letting you engage in social situations without worrying about tangles or wearing clothes that are appropriate to cover the tubes.

Waterproof Functions

You can wear the omnipod anywhere in the water, from the shower, ocean or even when running in the rain. The omnipod is wearable in water at depths of up to 7 meters for 60 minutes.

These waterproof functions allow you to freely engage in water activities with friends and family and not socially isolate or restrain yourself from entertainment which can add to diabetes distress.

The Use Of Smart Algorithm

Omnipod lets you set glucose targets to suit your needs, and all the readings and notifications will be monitored against it. This gives an accurate representation of your blood sugar levels, and when connected with a CGM, the device can also auto-adjust basal (background) insulin rates based on your current and projected blood glucose values.

This smart algorithm, combined with your coaches, reduces many of the commitments diabetes patients need to keep track of their blood sugar levels. It enhances convenience in daily routine as minimal monitoring is required. This flexibility also gives more time to experience and enjoy life almost as a normal person with a relaxed mind contributing to a positive and balanced lifestyle.

Alerting Through Warning Messages

The PDM adds a warning message to keep you alerted about extremely high and low results. If your reading is below 70 mg/dL, the PDM displays: ‘Treat your low BG!’ which indicates severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). On the other hand, if your reading is at or above 250 mg/dL, the PDM displays ‘Check for ketones!’ which indicates severe hyperglycemia (high blood glucose).

These readings keep you in check with your blood sugar levels and when they need attention. It reduces severe hypo or hyperglycemic episodes and their consequences affecting your routine. They also help you be more confident in your overall well-being and diabetes self-management, which supports a positive psychological mindset.

At GluCare, we have partnered with Insulet, the maker of Omnipod, to introduce pod therapy for our diabetic community for the first time in the United Arab Emirates. Our partnership includes diabetes educators practicing and licensed at GluCare, along with data integration to better serve our patient population.