Insulin Pump Training to Self-Manage Diabetes
The diabetes educators at The Center for Endocrinology at Mercy offer insulin pump training for patients managing diabetes. Mercy’s experts offer ongoing education and hands-on training with patience and care to limit user error and help patients every step of the way.
What is Insulin Pump Training?
Insulin pump training consists of learning effective use of an insulin pump to manage your diabetes. An insulin pump provides a continuous flow of rapid-acting insulin between meals and throughout the night to help maintain good blood glucose levels.
Each pump is set specifically for each patient’s needs. It is important to learn how to use an insulin pump so life-threatening conditions, such as diabetic ketoacidosis (lack of insulin), can be avoided.
During insulin pump training, patients will learn how to:
- Program the insulin pump, a small computer device, according to eating and exercise habits
- Insert the catheter that connects the pump to the body
- Keep the area around the catheter clean
- Count carbohydrates and enter the information into the pump
- Check for a low battery
- Be sure insulin continuously flows when needed
The insulin pump does not conduct blood glucose monitoring. Patients using an insulin pump still need to check their blood glucose levels multiple times each day. The diabetes educators teach patients how to monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust the insulin pump, if necessary.
Who should receive Insulin Pump Training?
Patients with Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes may be candidates for using an insulin pump if they are taking insulin shots every day for diabetes management.