Manage Your Glucose Levels with Omnipod® 5

Any change in insulin therapy comes with a learning curve, and we’re here to help ensure you have the smoothest transition possible when starting Omnipod 5. Use this guide to learn more about our most helpful tips for getting the most out of your Omnipod 5 experience.

This guide should not be used as medical advice and does not replace full training.

1. Start with the basics

Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) systems automatically adjust insulin delivery to help manage glucose levels, reduce hypoglycaemia, and increase time in range.

For optimal glucose results, it is necessary to assess your initial Omnipod 5 settings with your healthcare provider. Every system works differently, and the insulin doses that work for you with your current therapy may need to be adjusted when starting Omnipod 5.

Keep these tips in mind when talking with your healthcare provider about your initial Omnipod 5 settings:

Generally, about 40-50% of your total daily insulin should come from basal insulin and the remaining 50-60% from bolus doses.
To check your Total Daily Insulin on your current therapy, look at your insulin delivery history in your pump settings or add up all of your insulin doses from a typical day on injections.
Talk with your healthcare provider about adjustments to your basal or bolus settings that may need to be made prior to starting Omnipod 5

While Omnipod 5 is an automated insulin delivery system, your interaction is still required. Remember to:

Bolus for meals, snacks, and high glucose levels.
Treat low glucose levels as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Monitor your Pod sites for any potential issues with absorption or insulin delivery.

Omnipod 5 will adapt to your personal insulin needs over time, and the process has just begun!

2. Learn the modes and how they work

Omnipod 5 can be used in Automated Mode or Manual Mode. Learn more about how each mode works below.

Automated Mode

In Automated Mode, SmartAdjust™ technology predicts where your glucose levels will be 60 minutes into the future and uses this information to automatically adjust insulin delivery every five minutes.

The System uses your average Total Daily Insulin to update your Adaptive Basal Rate, giving you a new baseline for automated insulin delivery with each Pod change. Your Total Daily Insulin includes both your basal insulin delivery and bolus insulin delivery. You can view your Total Insulin in Glooko (if Glooko account has been linked) or the History Detail section of your Controller.

Here’s what you can expect as you get started in Automated Mode:

You can begin using Automated Mode with your first Pod. Even though the System has no previous insulin delivery history, it uses your initial programmed basal settings and built-in safety limits to begin automating insulin delivery. Over time, the Omnipod 5 System will learn your total daily insulin needs and adapt to better match your insulin needs at every Pod change.
Optimizing insulin delivery could take a few days up to a few weeks, depending on your previous therapy, initial settings and ongoing adaptivity.

You may see the System pause or increase insulin delivery when you are not expecting it. For example:

Even if you are currently above your Target Glucose, the System may pause insulin if it predicts you will be below your Target Glucose within 60 minutes (see image below).
Or if you are currently below your Target Glucose, the System may be delivering insulin if it predicts you will be above your Target Glucose within 60 minutes. Omnipod 5 will always pause insulin when the last sensor glucose value recorded was below 3.3 mmol/L (60 mg/dL).

In the CGM Graph view, you will see a red bar below the graph when insulin has been fully paused. You will see an orange bar when the System has reached maximum insulin delivery. For even more detail on how the System is adjusting, you can go to the Auto Events tab in the History Detail to see how much insulin is being delivered every 5 minutes.

Visit the Omnipod 5 User Guide and/or Omnipod 5 Technical User Guide for more information.

Automated Mode: Limited

Manual Mode

3. Know how to handle highs and lows

Though the Omnipod 5 is automating insulin delivery, there may still be times when you experience high or low glucose levels.

You can give correction boluses by tapping USE SENSOR in the SmartBolus Calculator. Giving correction boluses when needed will help the System update your Total Daily Insulin needs and adapt with each new Pod to adjust insulin dosing accordingly. Try not to override the suggestions given by the System.
Talk to your healthcare provider about treating lows. Some people find they need to use less carbohydrate to treat lows when using an AID system, because the system has been decreasing insulin as glucose levels drop.
You may also need to discuss settings adjustments with your healthcare provider. For example, decreasing your Target Glucose setting can help the System deliver more automated insulin. Target Glucose is the only setting that you can change to directly impact automated insulin delivery. Making changes to your basal settings will only impact basal insulin delivery in Manual Mode.

4. Master your mealtimes

Taking insulin when you eat is an important part of any insulin therapy, including AID systems. Keep these tips top of mind for mealtime and snack success.

Talk to your healthcare provider about when to bolus for your meals. Delivering insulin 15-20 minutes before eating may help if you are experiencing high glucose levels after meals or snacks.
Use the SmartBolus Calculator. Entering grams of carbs and tapping USE SENSOR will calculate a dose based on current SENSOR value, SENSOR trend, and Insulin on Board.
Work with your healthcare provider to adjust your bolus settings if needed. For example, if you are experiencing high glucose levels after breakfast, you may find you need to lower your Insulin to Carb ratio to give more insulin for the food you are eating. Other bolus settings include Target Glucose, Correction Factor, Duration of Insulin Action, and Reverse Correction.

5. Get going with the Activity feature

When using the Activity feature, SmartAdjust™ technology reduces your insulin delivery and sets your Target Glucose to 8.3 mmol/L for the amount of time you choose (up to 24 hours). Many people use the Activity feature before, during or after exercise, but it can be used in any situation where you may want to deliver less insulin. Sleepovers, sick days, and even trips to the grocery store can all be great times to use the Activity feature!

Tip: It may be helpful to turn the Activity feature on before your activity begins (for example, 30-60 minutes). Discuss appropriate timing with your healthcare provider.

6. Stay connected

Omnipod® 5 makes it simple for you to stay in Automated Mode. You may occasionally find yourself in ‘Automated Mode: Limited’ if your Pod has not received sensor glucose values for more than 20 minutes. If you find yourself here often, consider the following:

Check to make sure glucose readings are available on your Dexcom G6 app (you may see ‘Automated Mode: Limited’ during your sensor warmup).
Be sure your Pod and transmitter are in direct line of sight. This means that the Pod and transmitter are worn on the same side of the body in a way that the two devices can “see” one another without your body blocking their communication.

7. Check in with your healthcare provider

It’s important to follow up with your healthcare provider when starting any new therapy. Check in to review your glucose and insulin delivery data soon after training to discuss any questions and make any necessary settings adjustments. The Omnipod team is here for you, too.

Contact your Certified Pod Trainer or our Customer Care team at 0800 011 6132* or +44 20 3887 1709 if calling from abroad. We'll be happy to help you.

*Your call be monitored and recorded for quality monitoring purposes. Calls to 0800 numbers are free from local landlines, but other networks may charge for these calls.

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Managing Glucose Levels on Omnipod® 5

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