JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) improves diabetes outcomes and patient engagement, but its uptake in primary care remains limited. Primary care providers often lack experience and confidence with CGM, especially in resource-conscious settings like Singapore. An experiential training program, where providers wore CGM devices themselves, was implemented nationally in public primary care setting in Singapore to address this gap. This study aimed to qualitatively explore healthcare providers’ experiences of this program.

Objective:

Our study aims to provide an in-depth qualitative exploration of healthcare providers’ experiences with structured CGM and to generate insights into their perceived trade-offs, preferences and considerations for real-world implementation.

Methods:

Adopting a qualitative descriptive study design, data were collected 1–3 months post-training via seven focus group discussions (3–6 participants each) and two individual interviews, involving a total of 29 providers (including physicians, nurses, and allied health staff) across all three public primary care clusters. Discussions were held via videoconference, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically using an inductive approach.

Results:

Five major themes emerged: (1) device preferences and comparisons, (2) training experiences, (3) impact on behaviour and gained insights, (4) implementation recommendations, and (5) emerging reflections on CGM use. Within theme 1, participants compared real-time CGM (RT-CGM) and intermittently scanned CGM (IS-CGM) systems. RT-CGM was valued for its continuous data but raised concerns about alarm fatigue and bulkiness. IS-CGM was praised for ease of use, discreet design, and cost-efficiency, though manual scanning and occasional inaccuracies were noted as limitations. Theme 2 highlighted that hands-on experiential training greatly enhanced learning and empathy, while gaps remained in data interpretation and time for practice. In theme 3, providers reported increased mindfulness about food and exercise, deeper patient empathy, and more tailored patient education, though some noted that behavioural changes faded after device removal. Theme 4 addressed the need for structured training enhancements (e.g., refresher sessions, interpretation tools) and support systems (e.g., troubleshooting guides, patient resources). Finally, theme 5 surfaced broader reflections: experiential learning created powerful “seeing is believing” effects, CGM induced emotional responses (e.g., anxiety from alarms), and device costs influenced adoption and sustainability.

Conclusions:

Experiential training with CGM meaningfully improved primary care providers’ readiness to use this technology, fostering greater confidence, knowledge, and patient-centred empathy. To translate these benefits into routine practice, structured follow-up education and system-level support are required.