Deus ex machina: the use of technology in type 1 diabetes.

Abstract

Deus ex machina: in ancient Greek theatre, towards the end of a performance, a crane-like device was often used to lower an actor playing a god onto the stage in order to solve an apparently intractable problem in a plot-line. Nowadays, perceived wisdom believes that difficult clinical scenarios in diabetes can be alleviated by the introduction of technologies such as insulin pump therapy and glucose sensing. This "God from the Machine" approach to problem solving has been enthusiastically embraced by a small number of enthusiasts within the diabetes care community but access to these technologies is still very limited in the UK. The question is can the use of technology reduce or even eliminate the biological and psychological variables that prevent people living with diabetes achieving the standard of blood glucose control desired and if so should availability be more widespread?