Empowering Healthcare Professionals to Support Type-1 Diabetes Patients Using Open-Source Automated Insulin Delivery Systems

The rapid evolution of Type-1 diabetes (T1D) management technology has left many traditional healthcare systems playing catch-up. Among the most significant innovations are the Open-Source Automated Insulin Delivery (OSAID) systems (Loop, AAPS, Trio, OpenAPS) and Nightscout, a real-time data-sharing and visualization tool. These technologies are transforming lives—yet the knowledge gap between those who use them and those who support them is growing wider.

So, who will train healthcare providers to understand, onboard, and support patients using Loop, or other OSAID systems, and Nightscout?

Let’s Start with the Obvious: Not the Manufacturers

Loop and Nightscout are not commercial products. There are no company reps, no marketing budgets, and no glossy brochures. Instead, these tools emerged from the #WeAreNotWaiting movement—a grassroots, patient-driven initiative to create better solutions when the medical device industry lags. Since these tools are open-source and community-built, the usual channels of provider training doesn't exist. This leaves a glaring gap.

The Real Experts? The People Who Use Them

No one understands these tools better than the people who rely on them daily—Loopers and Nightscouters themselves. Many have spent hundreds of hours building, troubleshooting, and optimizing these systems. Some of these individuals have taken things further and become expert peers—not just users but skilled educators, coaches, and guides for others.

Some, like me, have formal healthcare backgrounds—pharmacists, nurses, or educators who also live with T1D. Others are engineers, data analysts, or determined parents who have become deeply knowledgeable out of necessity. What we share is a lived, applied expertise that far exceeds most HCP training when it comes to Type-1 diabetes and, in particular, Loop and Nightscout.

The Value of Peer-Led Provider Training

Training led by experienced Loop users offers healthcare providers more than just technical understanding:

• Real-world application: Providers learn how these tools are used in daily life, not just how they are supposed to work.

• Cultural fluency: The open-source AID community has its own language, values, and ethics. Understanding this helps HCPs build trust and credibility.

• Hands-on learning: Expert peers can walk providers through reports, help them understand Nightscout data, and explain settings and troubleshooting strategies.

What Providers Need to Know

Loop and Nightscout aren’t “set-it-and-forget-it” systems. They are customizable, data-rich, and deeply personal. Providers need to understand:

• The basic functions and capabilities of Loop and Nightscout

• How to read and interpret Nightscout reports and develop a systematic analysis. Then listen and guide.

• When to encourage changes and when to simply support

Moving Forward: A Collaborative Model

Healthcare providers and expert peers should work together. Providers bring clinical oversight, safety protocols, and broad diabetes knowledge. Expert peers bring detailed Loop/Nightscout insight, empathy, and a user-centered perspective. Together, we can build a model of care that is adaptive, personalized, and empowering. If we want to keep up the pace of innovation in T1d care, we need to expand who we consider a valid expert. It’s time to recognize that sometimes, the best teachers are patients—especially when those patients are walking, talking, thriving proof of what’s possible with Loop and Nightscout.

Are you a healthcare provider looking to better support your Loop-using patients? Or a person with T1D who wants to become a peer educator? Reach out—Let’s build smarter, stronger, more collaborative diabetes care together.

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