Preferences for glucose monitoring devices - research study

etassie said:

10. What do you like and dislike about CGMs?

11. Do you find (or think) the CGM is useful for day to day diabetes management?

12. Do you (or think you might) use this information to make more adjustments to your insulin regimen?

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The Libre is a FGM but I have purchased the miaomiao to make it into a CGM

10. Dislike that without calibration the readings can be a fair bit out
11. Is CGM useful? Well, yes as you are getting BGs every 5 mins so you know what your bloods are doing every 5 mins
12. For basal adjustments (if you are on a pump) it is invaluable

10. What do you like and dislike about CGMs?
No experience of CGMs (because they are too expensive, but I guess that is a dislike about them. )

11. Do you find (or think) the CGM is useful for day to day diabetes management?
I understand they are very useful indeed

12. Do you (or think you might) use this information to make more adjustments to your insulin regimen?
I don't use insulin, so cannot answer

etassie said:

Today is day 4 and it's the second last day, today we would like to know about your experiences and opinions of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Here are today's questions:

10. What do you like and dislike about CGMs?

11. Do you find (or think) the CGM is useful for day to day diabetes management?

12. Do you (or think you might) use this information to make more adjustments to your insulin regimen?

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10. I've used the medtrum CGM in the past, I like that you can calibrate it if and when it starts to wonder, I also like that you can share the data with others so they can keep an eye on you (nag! when it reports a low )

11. in the same way an FGM does.

12. yes in the same way an FGM does.

7. What do you like and dislike about flash glucose monitors?
8. Do you find (or think) the flash glucose monitor is useful for day to day diabetes management?
9. Do you (or think you might) use this information to adjust your insulin regimen?
10. What do you like and dislike about CGMs?
11. Do you find (or think) the CGM is useful for day to day diabetes management?
12. Do you (or think you might) use this information to make more adjustments to your insulin regimen?

7.
Like:
- Scanning as often as I like, allowing me to run lower without the risk of going hypo before my next fingerprick. When I'm in the 4's or low 5's I simply scan very often to catch a possible drop. On fingerpricks that would've meant some preventative carbs.
- Way easier to spot after food/exercise/whatever patterns so I can do things differently next time.
- I log my doses in the app and often check back on what I dosed in similar situations in the preceding days to base todays dose on. Also very useful to gauge how much insulin may still be active.
- Works with wet hands.

Dislike:
- Stupid sensors reading lower than fingerprick by 0.8 to 1.8 mmol/l for me usually. On good days this means lots of red lines between 3 and 4 on the app, making me nervous. It also makes me feel defensive and even more nervous than usual at reviews. Thankfully they've agreed to only do a review and blood test once a year now, it spares me a lot of stress.
I tried Glimp because of the calibrating but I liked that even less.
- The difference between subsequent sensors. It takes a couple of days every 2 weeks to 'get to know' the particular quirks of the new one, plus you never know if you'll have a dodgy sensor. I apply a day before starting them (when I don't it'll insist I've been hypo all of the first night) so a dodgy one means doing a day without.
I'd love to try Eversense for that reason, 6 months on one sensor sounds pretty wonderful.
- So slow to catch up to fingersticks after a hypo. I'm guessing my body sends glucose to the most important body parts like brains , organs, muscles first, leaving the back of my arm for last. Plus the usual time lag.
- It's awfully expensive. Except our government has only yesterday decided everyone on insulin who needs to test at least 4 times a day can get it funded from now on, and yes, that includes T2's! Whoopwhoop!

8. Obviously (provided you use the information it gives you of course)

9. All the time. But I regularly double check with a finger prick too, but not necessarily when I'm about to inject.

10.
Like:
- Same as above.
- Dexcom is said to be more accurate than Libre, with Eversense you only have to get used to a new sensor ever 6 months. I'd like those things.
- Alarms could be useful. But for me not that useful to buy a MiaoMiao for my Libre, so not very important to me.

Dislike:
- Even more expensive than Libre, and CGM's have a ridiculous funding system in the Netherlands. No way I'd get one. (That may change though)
- Don't know, as haven't used one.

11. Obviously (provided you use the information it gives you of course)

12. All the time. But I'd regularly double check with a finger prick too, but not necessarily when I'm about to inject.

@etassie , being a T1 yourself, would you mind filling out your own questionaire? I guess you'd have to leave your answers out from the study but I'm curious and I've liked reading the answers from other members.

When the results are in and used in the way your study intends, can you post a link to it? I'd like to see what comes from it

Sorry I forgot about CGM alarms - it's been a while but for some thats a big plus (others find it annoying - so could be a like and a dislike!)

slip said:

Sorry I forgot about CGM alarms - it's been a while but for some thats a big plus (others find it annoying - so could be a like and a dislike!)

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Same here.....Alarms are amazing - until it goes off at 3am and wakes the misses up

13. If you could choose any of the glucose monitoring devices available, what would you choose and why?
14. Do you think this glucose device could help you more effectively manage your diabetes, and why?
15. What are the most important features of a glucose monitoring system to you?

13.
I think I'd go for Eversense because you don't have to get to know a new sensor every 2 weeks or 10 days, and it also spares you having to wait to see if you have a dodgy sensor every time (although I haven't had dodgy ones for quite some time).
I would read up some more on it before deciding if it really was an option. I already know havong to take off the transmitter every day to recharge and putting it back on would annoy me. I think I'd rather have the option of recharging while it's attatched to me.

If not Eversense I'd choose Dexcom, as apparently it's more accurate than Libre.

14.
Not really. I already manage very well with the help of Libre.

15.
- That it works and can be trusted.
-That it's waterproof.
- That it's accurate and not read lower than fingerpricks all the time.
- The graph showing what's been happening over the day, including my insulin doses, like this one (remember mine reads low by say 1.3 mmol/l, haven't been below 3.8 yesterday. And no, not all my days look like this!):

13. If you could choose any of the glucose monitoring devices available, what would you choose and why?

Of the ones I know are currently on the market, probably the Libre. I have used it for years, am familiar with its foibles, can afford to self fund it periodically, and learn something from it every single sensor.

14. Do you think this glucose device could help you more effectively manage your diabetes, and why?
It does. I need something that lets me gauge the speed of bg rises and drops, and lets me monitor what happens when I am asleep. Both of these are very important for my circumstances.

15. What are the most important features of a glucose monitoring system to you?
An alarm (I have a history of getting v sleepy with rapid bg drops, and do not wake up with hypos. Not sure that an alarm would necessarily wake me, but it would alert those around me.) the Libre 1 does not have this feature, but I understand the Libre 2 has. I am looking forward to that.
Reliability, consistency, accuracy, low price, convenient application and maintenance.
Discreet appearance is nice.
Reports, ability to send data and alerts to medical professionals and family.
Ideally, I would like a sensor that I could use for a few days, remove and then reuse a few days later. I realise this is unlikely, but at one point the following product was newsworthy.
https://sugarbeat.com/
Haven't heard anything about it recently, but I restrict my use of the Libre (due to cost) to periods such as holidays, new jobs, xmas, and social events, because those are the times I know I will have less control of my blood glucose and food choices.
Sugarbeat would allow this.
There have been other, similar, non-invasive short term, removeable adhesive patch devices touted on the internet, but these have not yet made it to a point where I could try them.
https://www.diabeticglucosewatch.com/Diabetic_Glucose_Blog/blog/

7. I think I dislike the NFC as you can't loop with a flash glucose monitor. Although I haven't tried the miaomiao so with that, I don't think I'll dislike anything.
8. The flash glucose monitor is really useful.
9. Yes, to make decisions on basal rates and blousing.
10. Compared to flash, the bluetooth is more useful because of the alarms and being able to loop.
11. Yes definitely useful. More information makes it easier to make decisions and understand what is going on.
12. Yes, definitely.
13. Dexcom G6 - can use it to. loop.
14. Yes definitely. More information makes it easier to make decisions and understand what is going on.
15. I can trust the data. It doesn't need to be perfect but accurate enough. I can use it to loop. I have access to it.

etassie said:

Today is the last day I’ll be posting questions to the thread – thank you so much to everyone for taking part! Let’s finish it off by discussing what would be your ideal glucose monitoring system. Here are todays questions:

13. If you could choose any of the glucose monitoring devices available, what would you choose and why?

14. Do you think this glucose device could help you more effectively manage your diabetes, and why?

15. What are the most important features of a glucose monitoring system to you?

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13. Thats a good question! and I guess would be based on answer to number 15.......It would have to be some sort of CGM So for accuracy it would be the Dexcom judging by reports (although my current Libre accuracy is good), then the Libre for comfort, sensor life and cost, I also like the libreview analysis and meal/dose logging on the reader but it could be so much better, as for alerts since the libre doesn't thats out, the dexcom does and annoys a lot of people, when I was using the Medtrum alerts through the phone could be put on silent and vibrate and if I remember correctly not overly repetitive. So the Libre 2 might just do it for me!

14. Well if it didn't then whats the point of using it?

15. Accuracy, comfort - if wearable, life span (of the device), cost.
If it's a CGM then ease of data logging and review - and (discreet) alerts.

@Antje77 you're just showing off with your graph!

etassie said:

13. If you could choose any of the glucose monitoring devices available, what would you choose and why?

14. Do you think this glucose device could help you more effectively manage your diabetes, and why?

15. What are the most important features of a glucose monitoring system to you?

Click to expand...

13. It would have to be the Libre (alongside the Miaomiao). Because of the affordability of the unit (luckily I am prescribed the Libre)
14. If it didn't help me manage my diabetes then I would not be using it!
15. For me it is the alarms that can be set. I am hypo unaware and the alarms when low are invaluable

10. What do you like and dislike about CGMs?
Same as for the Libre - except CGMs you don't need to actually scan and the reading are sent automatically - means you wont lose any data if you oversleep - also alarms can be set (though admittedly not sure if I want high alarms as sometimes my sugars just wont drop until many hours later - at which point all the insulin I've taken (including corrections) seems to kick in leading to a very sudden drop)
11. Do you find (or think) the CGM is useful for day to day diabetes management?
Same as for the Libre really
12. Do you (or think you might) use this information to make more adjustments to your insulin regimen?
Same as for the Libre really

13. If you could choose any of the glucose monitoring devices available, what would you choose and why?
The libre suits me fine whilst using pens - for a start they will prescribe it for me, before they prescribed it for me it was the Libre because it was the cheaper option (though still not cheap).
If I ever get a pump I'd want a relevant CGM to work with whatever pump I get - I want a pump to help with my dawn phenomenon but its a bit intermittent so I'd need a CGM to help sort out that mess (ie a low glucose suspend when DP didn't kick in)
14. Do you think this glucose device could help you more effectively manage your diabetes, and why?
Same as for the Libre really
15. What are the most important features of a glucose monitoring system to you?
Reliability, accuracy

slip said:

@Antje77 you're just showing off with your graph!

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Sorry! I really just wanted to show the part I find most useful. But ridiculous lines like this one are the reason I seldomly share my numbers.

And an addition to questions 7 and 9:
What I find most annoying in the app is that you can't tap the notes on top to see what they say when scrolling through the days. That only works in the pages for last 24 and 8 hours.
To see the notes for earlier days you need to go to the Logbook and select a day from there. It would be very helpful to quickly check back on how much insulin I used in the last couple of days at certain times.