Missed recall warnings: A growing safety risk for home diabetes device users (ECRI, 17 February 2026)

Summary

Advances in home diabetes management technologies have transformed how millions of people manage their condition outside of traditional clinical settings. Devices such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), and integrated systems that combine the two have enabled tighter glucose control, fewer manual interventions, and greater independence for patients. Closed-loop systems, in particular, represent a major step forward—automating insulin delivery based on real-time glucose data and significantly improving quality of life.

Yet as these technologies become more sophisticated and widely adopted, they also introduce new safety risks—especially when critical recall information, software updates, or safety warnings fail to reach patients and caregivers in a timely or understandable way. When recall communications break down, the consequences can be severe.

This ECRI article looks at why recall communication matters more than ever, the clinical consequences of missed or misunderstood recalls and shared responsibility for improving recall communication.

Further reading on the hub:

• Diabetes technology is life-changing, but we need to be prepared when it fails - A blog by Andrew Stroud
• How safe are closed loop artificial pancreas systems?
• Blog - When diabetes devices fail