Patients' with Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Perceptions Towards Current and Advanced Technologies of Blood Glucose Monitoring: a Prospective Study

This study showed that 24.2% (n=50/207) of the participants were asked to monitor their blood glucose between 3-4 times per day when diagnosed, however only 14.0% (n=29/207) were compliant when the study commenced. A further decline in adherence, from diagnosis to study initiation, was seen in participants who had been asked to monitor their blood glucose levels at least five times per day. When questioned about their reasons for poor adherence, 59.2% (n= 123/207) of the cohort indicated that this is due to the painful, uncomfortable and inconvenience nature of testing. In addition, 75.8% (n=157/207) of the participants expressed their desire for a non-invasive monitoring device and 73% (n=151/207) would be satisfied using one of the pre-selected advanced technologies to monitor their blood glucose levels. The favoured advanced technology, selected by 49.8% (n=103/207) of participants, was the wristband. Statistical significance was seen between the type of diabetes and the device selected, with type 1 diabetes patients preferring contact lenses (p=0.0219) and tattoos (p<0.0001), whereas type 2 diabetes patients preferred earlobe sensors (p=0.0009) and saliva analysers (p<0.0001) .Participant gender, age and ethnicity also influenced device selection.
Source: Canadian Journal of Diabetes - Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research