Transitions of Care From Hospital to Home: Can Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improve Outcomes for Patients With Diabetes?

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) on transitions of care as patients with diabetes are discharged from the hospital on insulin.

Methods: This is a descriptive study with 2 cohorts of patients (transition to home with CGM and transition to home without CGM) who were assessed prior to discharge (baseline) and 30 days post discharge (follow-up). The key outcome measures were satisfaction with diabetes management, diabetes-related quality of life, frequency of blood glucose monitoring, and 30-day readmission rates.

Results: Patients in the CGM group reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with diabetes self-care management and higher levels of diabetes-related quality of life compared to those patients discharged without CGM.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that CGM enables a smoother transition from hospital to home for patients with diabetes placed on insulin at discharge. CGM was associated with higher satisfaction and diabetes-related quality of life, perhaps as a result of timely, ongoing information about glucose levels without the burden and pain of finger sticks. CGM may provide greater confidence in self-care decisions regarding insulin dosing, food intake, and exercise. Further research is needed to confirm our results and explore the additional factors associated with greater quality of life and satisfaction.