In an article in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Schliess and coauthors describe the conception and design of the European Automated Glu cose Contro l at H ome for People with Chronic Di sease (CLOSE) initiative for the implementation of artificial pancreas (AP) systems for people with diabetes. The CLOSE consortium aims to develop integrated AP solutions (APplus) tailored to the needs of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) by developing superior risk- and cost-benefit scenarios for AP operation to achieve acceptance by users and caregivers and a high likelihood for reimbursement. CLOSE is integrating the AP platform into the center of a comprehensive product and service package specifically tailored to defined T2D patient groups and care environments, leading to an interactive collaboration with users, health care providers, and other stakeholders in diabetes care. This is a very ambitious but well-conceived and delineated project which takes into consideration most of the relevant factors that may influence AP implementation in T2D care.
Keywords: artificial pancreas; at home care; automated management; closed loop; personalized medicine; type 2 diabetes.