Benefits and Drawbacks of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Use in Young Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study From a Country Where the CGM Is Not Reimbursed

Abstract

Investigating the daily life experiences of patients using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) can highlight the benefits and barriers in using this system for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with the caregivers of 10 children aged <9 years, all of whom had been treated for T1D and had used CGM >6 months. These interviews were analyzed using the content analysis approach and from these interviews, four meta themes emerged: metabolic control, barriers to CGM use, CGM use in daily life, and comparison with fingersticks. Families reported the following as benefits of CGM: pain relief, better hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia management, increased control over diet and social life, reduced worries at school and during the night, and convenience in entrusting the child to the care of others. Cost, concerns related to accuracy and reliability of measurements, insertion, adhesion and removal issues all emerged as barriers to CGM use. The most prominent issue was the economic burden of CGM. Families accept this burden, even though it is challenging, as their experiences in using CGM are positive and they feel that CGM is necessary for T1D management.

The potential of the Mediterranean diet to improve metabolic control and body composition in youths with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

“…MD education along with insulin therapy, as recommended by the guidelines, to individuals with T1DM will contribute to improving the prognosis of diabetes. In addition to standard glycemic and metabolic control markers, the TIR marker obtained using sensors is very useful for both individuals with T1DM and their parents and researchers [ 60 , 61 ]. Increasing adherence to MD may improve TIR values.…”

“…The TIR values, which have been frequently recommended for clinical use in recent years, of participants using sensors were obtained and used in this study. Since sensors are not reimbursed by health insurance in Türkiye and they are expensive, not every individual has access to them [ 60 ]. Thus, the TIR values of all of the participants could not be obtained.…”

The impact of socioeconomic factors, social determinants, and ethnicity on the utilization of glucose sensor technology among persons with diabetes mellitus: a narrative review

“…Similar patterns have been found across all ages 59 and cost is the most often cited barrier to the use of CGMs, by both patients 60 and providers, 61 in the USA and abroad. 62 An important factor regarding cost is the insurance status, with private insurance being a significant predictor of consistent CGM usage. 63 This was found to be in part mediated by prescription biases, as found by one study in a pediatric provider cohort 64 and another in both the pediatric and adult provider cohorts.…”

Practical considerations for continuous glucose monitoring in elite athletes with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A narrative review

“…These technologies also provide longer‐term qualitative benefits for athletes by negating the need for constant finger prick sampling and greater confidence to participate in sport without fear or hindrance driven by their T1DM (Abdulrahman et al., 2016; Karakuş et al., 2021).…”