In New Zealand, real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is not funded, and cost presents a significant barrier to access. A do-it-yourself conversion of intermittently scanned CGM (DIY-CGM) is a cheaper alternative. This qualitative study aimed to enhance understanding of user experiences with DIY-CGM amongst adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
We conducted 12 semi-structured interviews of participants who were RT-CGM naïve when recruited into a crossover randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effect of DIY-CGM on glycaemic control. Participants had a mean age of 42.2(+/-14.3 years), with an average Hba1c of 58.9mmol(+/-9.9) and time in range(TIR) of 59.8%(+/-14.8). The majority were pump users(58%), male(58%) and all were European.
The DIY-CGM intervention consisted of a bluetooth bridge connected to a Flash Glucose Monitor,thus adding CGM functionality . sampling was used to recruit participants following RCT study completion. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 12 Pro (QSR International) software. Themes and subthemes were identified using thematic analysis.
Participants perceived using DIY-CGM improved both glycaemic control and quality of life. Alarm and trend functionality allowed participants to perceive reduced glycaemic variability overnight and following meals. There was a high degree of trust in DIY-CGM. Challenges while using DIY-CGM included signal loss during vigorous exercise, alarm fatigue, and short battery life. Most participants intended to continue using DIY-CGM or other commercial real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) at the end of the study.
This study suggests that DIY-CGM is an acceptable alternative method of glucose monitoring.