Patient-Reported Usefulness and Challenges in Using Hypoglycemia-Informing Features of Continuous Glucose Monitors to...

The purpose of this study series, which involves a questionnaire survey and qualitative interviews, was to (a) evaluate patient-reported usefulness of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) hypoglycemia-informing features and (b) identify challenges in using these features (ie, CGM glucose numbers, trend arrows, trend graphs, and hypoglycemia alarms) during hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM).

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey study was conducted with adults who have T1DM and were using CGMs to assess the perceived usefulness of hypoglycemia-informing features. A semistructured interview study with T1DM CGM-using adults and inductive thematic analysis were subsequently performed to identify challenges in using CGM hypoglycemia-informing features to manage hypoglycemia.

In the survey study (N = 252), the CGM glucose numbers, trend arrows, trend graphs, and hypoglycemia alarms were found to be very useful by 79%, 70%, 43%, and 64% of participants, respectively. Several challenges in using these features to manage hypoglycemia were identified in the qualitative study (N = 23): (1) hypoglycemia information not fully reliable,; (2) unpredictability of future blood glucose levels, (3) lack of awareness about how information can be used, and (4) disruptions associated with information.

Although the majority of T1DM adults found their CGMs' hypoglycemia-informing features helpful, challenges in optimally using these features persisted. Targeted knowledge and behavioral interventions could improve CGM use to reduce hypoglycemia.