Investigating Racial Disparities in Insulin Pump Use Among People with Type 1 Diabetes Across the United States: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Abstract

Introduction: Despite technological advances in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) management, racial disparities in insulin pump utilization persist. We investigated patterns of insulin pump adoption across different racial groups using a large-scale, multi-institutional database to quantify these disparities and identify potential intervention points. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX research network, analyzing data from 978,665 T1D patients across 66 healthcare organizations. Propensity score matching was employed to balance cohorts, with a focused sub-analysis of Buffalo, NY (n=6,080) to examine regional variations in comparison to the United States nationwide present data. Results: Nationwide data revealed significant racial disparities in insulin pump utilization, with White patients showing the highest adoption rate (11.74%) compared to Black or African American (AA) patients (4.056%). Buffalo cohort demonstrated higher overall adoption rates but maintained similar disparity patterns (White: 30.18%, Black or AA: 13.75%). Post-matching analysis confirmed these disparities persisted independent of demographic factors. Conclusions: Our findings reveal significant racial disparities in insulin pump adoption, with regional variations suggesting the influence of institutional factors. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to promote equitable access to diabetes technology and prevent the widening of health disparities in T1D care.