THE SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF FUTURE ARTIFICIAL PANCREAS TECHNOLOGY: PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF PEDARPAN (PEDIATRICS ARTIFICIAL PANCREAS) in 9th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatment of Diabetes - Barcellona 2016

Background and Aims: To explore the experiences of parents of 5–8-year-old children with type 1 diabetes participating in a clinical trial regarding artificial pancreas (AP), semistructured interviews, based on the Technology Acceptance Model, were conducted after 3 days of children's treatment. Method: Questions focused on evaluating parents' perceived usefulness of, perceived ease of use of, trust in, and intention to use the new system. Interviews were conducted by a psychologist, and the answers, both audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim, were assessed using qualitative research methods. Results: Altogether, 27 (22 mothers) of 30 parents were interviewed (Table 1), and their overall attitude toward AP was positive (96%). Perceived advantages included stable glucose regulation (52%), better quality of life for children (22%), relief of parents' daily concerns (15%), and reduced need for continual parental monitoring of nocturnal blood glucose (11%), while perceived disadvantages included having to constantly wear a bulky, heavy device (37%) and the risk of technical error (33%). Participants were mostly confident in the positive impact of AP on diabetes control (96%) and in children's, especially older ones', capability to use the system (55%). The reactions of teachers and friends were reported to be generally positive, though some parents (28%) expected an initially fearful reaction from teachers. Nearly all participants expressed trust in AP and in the quality of glucose control (96%), as well as the intention to use the new system when available (100%). Conclusion: Results indicate that, thanks to the psychological and physical benefits of AP, parents expressed a strong likelihood of future acceptance