Regulation of personalised digital hybrid closed loop systems to manage diabetes in children

How innovative technologies are being used in childhood diabetes management.

Project details

IoT technologies in the provision of healthcare are advancing rapidly, testing the adequacy of regulation and ethical oversight. A team of researchers at the University of Melbourne has considered how these technologies are starting to be used in childhood diabetes management.

It is engaged with current clinical concerns and experiences of paediatric specialists. It also captures the key elements of the broader phenomenon, which means it will have significance and impact beyond this specific context for other medical specialities where wearable sensors and IoT technologies are developing. This project explores the systems currently available to consumers and patients, the adequacy of regulation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, security of data, and perceptions of clinicians and family using wearable health devices to monitor and manage diabetes, in particular, hybrid closed loop systems.

The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health Ethics Advisory Group approved the project, ‘Personalised Closed Loop Systems for Childhood Diabetes’ (ID 1953678.1)

Virtual panel presentation

Wednesday 4 November 2020, 19.30-20.30 AEDT

The project team held an online meeting to present the key findings of the project. An expert panel explored the impacts of this research on indemnity insurance and regulation.

AgendaExpert Panel Short Biographies

Outputs

Conference presentations

  • Renza Scibilia, Parents Using Unregulated DIY Looping Technology to manage their child’s Type 1 Diabetes, Australasian Diabetes Congress, 12 November 2020
  • Carolyn Johnston, Use of DIY technologies in diabetes management and child welfare, Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law, 8 November 2019
  • Carolyn Johnston, Software as a Medical Device, AI Machine Learning and Robotics in Health, 21 November 2018
  • Carolyn Johnston, Ann Borda, The Utility and Security of Data in the management of Type 1 Diabetes in children, Health Data Analytics, 23 October 2018
  • Carolyn Johnston, Bernadette Richards, Fergus Cameron, Who has responsibility for emerging technologies in diabetes management? 10th National Paediatric Bioethics Conference, 6 September 2018

University of Melbourne Research Team

Our Partners

  • Professor Fergus Cameron, Royal Children’s Hospital, University of Melbourne Honorary
  • Ms Renza Scibilia, Diabetes Australia

Research Assistants

  • Jeremy Latcham
  • Chriselle Hickerton
  • Bori Ahn
  • Alexander Meredith

Funding (2018)

Networked Society Institute
University of Melbourne
AUD 29.2k