Practical implementation of remote continuous glucose monitoring in hospitalized patients with diabetes

Evaluation of a hybrid protocol using continuous glucose monitoring and point-of-care testing in non-critically ill patients in a community hospital

PURPOSE

Inpatient glycemic management typically involves use of point-of-care (POC) glucose measurements to inform insulin dosing decisions. This study evaluated a hybrid monitoring protocol using real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) supplemented with POC testing at a community hospital.

METHODS

Adult inpatients receiving POC glucose testing were monitored using rtCGM in a telemetry unit. The hybrid monitoring protocol required a once-daily POC test but otherwise primarily relied on rtCGM values for insulin dosing decisions. Outcomes assessment included surveillance error grid (SEG) and Clarke Error Grid (CEG) analysis results, the mean absolute relative difference (MARD) for available rtCGM-POC value pairs before and after study protocol application, the number of POC tests avoided, and the number of hypoglycemic events involving a blood glucose value of <70 mg/dL identified by rtCGM and POC values.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 30 inpatients (the mean age was 69.4 years, 77% were female, 80% had type 2 diabetes, and 37% were at-home insulin users). With the protocol applied, a total of 202 rtCGM-POC pairs produced a MARD of 12.5%. SEG analysis showed 2 pairs in the "moderate" risk category, with all other pairs in the "none" or "slight" risk categories. CEG analysis showed 99% of paired values to be in the clinically acceptable range. Six hypoglycemic events in 5 patients were resolved without incident. Three hundred three POC tests were avoided, a 60% reduction for the study duration.

CONCLUSION

Use of a hybrid monitoring protocol of rtCGM and POC testing in a community hospital demonstrated sustained rtCGM accuracy and was found to reduce the frequency of POC testing to manage inpatient glycemia.

16. Diabetes Care in the Hospital: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, an interprofessional expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, an interprofessional expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

16. Diabetes Care in the Hospital: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Supporting the Use of a Person's Own Diabetes Technology in the Inpatient Setting

The use of diabetes technology, including insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring devices, and automated insulin delivery systems, has increased significantly in recent years. As more people with diabetes adopt technology in the outpatient setting, we are seeing these devices more frequently in the inpatient setting. This review offers best-practice guidelines for the continuation of personal diabetes technology use in the inpatient setting. It describes policy and guideline stipulations, roles and responsibilities, and device- and brand-specific considerations. Although these devices are not approved for inpatient use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is general expert consensus that the continuation of personal diabetes devices during hospitalization is appropriate for patients who have sufficient knowledge, are not critically ill, and retain sufficient mental capacity during an acute illness. Health care systems and inpatient providers need to understand the benefits and limitations of personal diabetes technology use during hospitalization.

The Devil Is in the Details: Use, Limitations, and Implementation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Inpatient Setting

Until recently, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems were reserved for use in the outpatient setting or for investigational purposes in hospitalized patients. However, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, use of CGM in the inpatient setting has grown rapidly. This review outlines important details related to the accuracy, limitations, and implementation of, as well as necessary staff education for, inpatient CGM use and offers a glimpse into the future of CGM in the inpatient setting.